


Potato Guns and Web Slingers

by VixenFabFox



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Harley Keener Being An Asshole, Hurt Peter Parker, M/M, Peter Parker Has Nightmares, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Secret Identity, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 88,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VixenFabFox/pseuds/VixenFabFox
Summary: Harley Keener was promised by the Tony Stark that when he turned 17, he could come live in New York with him while finishing up his senior year at Midtown high and working closely to Tony Stark. Little did he know that within those 6 years of waiting, Tony Stark picked up another young prodigy. A 16 year old boy from Queens with seemingly nothing special about him except for his intelligence and looks.Instead of trying to become friends with Tony Stark’s new shiny toy, he meets the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 130
Kudos: 613





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy my new story! I’ve never done a Harley/Peter fanfic before but here it is!

  
  


**Harley’s POV**

“So, Happy. What type of name is that?” I asked Tony’s driver. Of course, Tony had him come pick me up from the airport because the only thing Tony will willingly drive is the suit.   
  


“It’s my name. I swear if Tony takes one more kid under his wing—“ I rolled my eyes at that. Of course I’ve heard of the famous (or infamous) Peter Parker. It’s only brought into the conversations with Tony every single time.   
  


“So, what? Parker is super annoying?” I smirked. Happy scoffed.  
  


”Thats an understatement.”   
  


We pulled up to the Newly built Avengers compound that was built after the whole Thanos situation 4 months ago. I remember feeling dusty and then darkness and then my sister all grown up and a year older than me, finding me exactly where I was blipped away. I will never forget the look on her face, shocked, tears falling as she screamed for my mom. I was so confused and I asked what happened. They told me I was gone for five years. Five _fucking_ years. Most of my friends were now coming out of college, and my sister was starting her senior year.   
  


I shook the memory from my head as I stepped out of the car.   
  


“Come on, kid.” Happy motioned me to follow him. I got my two bags out of the trunk and followed him. We got into the elevator and a woman’s voiced echoed throughout it. I jumped up and Happy just smirked.   
  


“Hello, Mr. Hogan. Mr. Keener, Welcome. Boss has been expecting you.”   
  


“Bring us up to Tony’s Workspace, FRI.” Happy said.   
  


“What is that?” I asked, confused and slightly afraid at the same time.   
  


“I am FRIDAY. Mr. Stark’s personal AI. But I have also been built into the Avenger’s Compound to help with everyone’s needs.”   
  


The elevator dinged and it opened up to show a huge, but messy, workshop with scrap metal, leftover junk food, and Suits lining up across the walls. On the far left there was Tony messing with a piece of metal seemingly. I turned my head just to get a little better look around and found a focused Cute boy in the back. He had brown curly locks and was messing around with a hologram talking to what seemed to be himself and— wait. Was that a blueprint of Spider-Man’s suit?!   
  


“Oh, there you are!” Tony interrupted my thoughts and made his way to me. He had his arm in an arm sling probably because his arm was still healing. I smiled as he pulled me into a hug. I knew it was very rare to earn a hug from Tony Stark so I embraced it. ”Peter! There’s someone I want you to meet!” The brunette in the back snapped his head up for the first time since I came out of the elevator.   
  


_Oh, that’s Peter Parker._

Peter shyly made his way over and waved his hand. “Hey. I’m P-Peter. Peter Parker.”   
  


“So I’ve gathered.” I coldly stated. Peter broke eye contact and brought his hand up to the back of his neck. Tony didn’t seem to register the tension.  
  


“So, how was the ride?” Tony asked.  
  


”It was okay. I’ve never ridden on a plane until today but I slept for most of it.” I told him.   
  


“Well I’ve got to get a few things done here, but Peter can show you to your room and I’ll make sure Pepper is almost done with dinner.” Tony excitedly stated. “If that’s okay with you, Pete?”   
  


“Y-yeah.” Peter stuttered a little, he seemed a little out of it but Tony placed a hand on his shoulder and he immediately got out of his trance.   
  


“You okay, kid?” Peter looked up at me and then smiled at Tony. 

”I’m fine, Mr. Stark. I just remembered how May said she was going to try something new for dinner.” Peter said and Tony gave him a sympathetic look.   
  


“Um, lets go Harley.” Peter said. The elevator shut on us.   
  


“Hello, Peter. Are you staying safe?” I gave Peter a weird look and his eyes widened.   
  


“Yes, FRI. Um, to the Penthouse floor.” Peter said.   
  


“So how does an intern have Tony Stark level Access to the building?” I asked, pointing to the screen that showed Peter’s credentials.   
  


“Oh, um. I’m his personal intern.” He said way too quickly. I rolled my eyes and he just stared at the ground, trying so desperately not to make eye contact with me.   
  


As the door opened a little girl came running towards us.   
  


“Petey!” A little girl exclaimed running towards him as he picked her up with ease. He had this huge grin on his face that made him look even younger than he was.   
  


“Hey, Maguna! Oh, you have gotten soooo big!” Peter enthusiastically said. She giggled at that.  
  


“You saw me yestaday, siwwy.” He smiled at her and placed a kiss on her forehead.   
  


_Yeah. Just a personal intern. He just called Morgan, Maguna. That nickname is reserved for Tony._

”You wanna come help me show Harley his room?” The Brunette asked Morgan. She nodded. We walked past the spacious kitchen where Pepper was. ”Hey, Mrs. Stark.”   
  


“Peter, I have told you. Call me Pepper. Hey Harley.” He shook his head with a grin on his face.   
  


We passes down a long hallway just to stop about halfway through it. He opened the door and revealed to me a room almost the size of my living room back in Tennessee. 

“Okay, um. I’m gonna head out.” Peter said awkwardly and I just dropped my bags and nodded, not even giving him another glance.   
  


I could hear faintly Peter telling FRIDAY to tell Tony that he was leaving.   
  


I plopped myself down on my king sized bed that felt like heaven. Tomorrow the first day of school starts and I don’t think I’m ready. Hopefully the people aren’t as bad as the stereotypes say they are. 

“FRIDAY?” I asked looking up at the ceiling.

“Yes, Mr. Keener?”   
  


“Please, call me Harley. Um, how long has Peter worked here?”   
  


“Officially for 4 months. But unofficially about 2 and a half years before he was blipped.”   
  


“Wait, what do you mean unofficially?”

”That is classified, Harley. Also, Boss told me to tell you dinner is ready.” The robot woman said.   
  
  


_Classified_? What? I walked out of the very huge room and down the hallway into the kitchen.   
  


“What’s up old man?” I smirked and Tony gave me a glare. He picked up Morgan and she sat in his lap.   
  


“So, how did you like Peter?” Tony asked with a smile plastered on his face.   
  


I put on a fake smile, “He seems very nice.” Yeah. Too good to be true.   
  


“Great! He can show you around the school tomorrow if you want. He already volunteered.” Tony smiled. My eyes widened at that as I still kept the sickening sweet smile on my face.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tony said you were gonna show me around.” He said with no enthusiasm at all. I could feel Ned and MJ staring at the back of my head.   
>  “Oh! Y-yeah. But if you want someone else to show you around I- I’m pretty sure the principal could find someone else.” I started stuttering. He looked at me with no emotion at all, “or not?” I couldn’t read him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me longer than I hoped. I just moved into a new house and have been really busy.

**Peter’s POV**

I made my way to the rooftop of the compound and changed into my suit, swinging my way to Queens.  
  


“Hey Karen.”

“Hello, Peter. Mr. Stark has been notified about you starting patrol. He says to tell you to be home by ten. So you don’t have to suffer an angry May.” Karen explained. I rolled my eyes at that. Mr. Stark has been way too involved in my spidey activities lately. I think May caused it.

“Well, Karen, you can tell him I will be home by eight because I promised I would eat with her for dinner. Hopefully I don’t get poisoned and die.” I joked.   
  


“Do you think your Aunt would purposely poison you?”   
  


“No, Karen. It’s a joke.” I chuckled, “Do you have anything for me?”

“There is what appears to be a robbery taking place down 5th and Harold.”   
  


“Thanks, Karen!”

——————

“Hey, May.” I shouted as I closed my bedroom door. I smelt something burning, so I quickly got changed and May barged into my room before I could get a shirt on. She was waving a towel in her face as she started laughing.   
  


“Well dinner is off the table.” She said. She looked down to glance at my suit but didn’t mention it. “Let’s go get some Thai.”   
  


“So how was your day with Stark?” She asked me as she stuffed larb in her mouth. “And that new kid?”  
  


“It was good. I don’t think Harley likes me that much.” I explained.   
  


“What? Everyone larbs you. I mean You are...” she leaned closer to me, “Spider-Man.”   
  


“Well he doesn’t know that.” I said a little hushed.   
  


“Why not?”   
  


“Cause I don’t go around telling people who I am.”

She nodded in agreement. Thankfully, she dropped it. I would rather not have to think that there is someone out there other than Flash that hates my guts.

I looked over at the TV and saw red and yellow flames fuming out of what looked like an apartment building. The woman was saying that it was getting so bad that the firefighters are contemplating on risking their lives to go in there. I looked at May and saw worried eyes looking straight back at me.

“Go.” She said, giving me a semi smile.

“Are you sure?”   
  


“Yes. Go be a hero.” She gave be a bigger and more genuine smile. I nodded. “But be safe.”

I got up and flung my book bag with the multimillion dollar suit stuffed in there onto my back and ran out the door.   
  


When I got there, it was horrible. The fire was becoming out of control and all the firefighters could do was spray a pathetic hose over the roaring fire. I made my way into the burning building on the second floor and started to make my way through the fire. Karen told me she could read four people in there. I had already gotten two that were trapped because of debris, but luckily they were by a window.  
  


“Hello? Is anybody in here?” I called out. 

“Help me! Please!” I heard what sounded like a young woman. I followed the yelling and almost fell through the floor on my way. I found a young woman caught under some debris and she kept yelling at me about a ‘Bree.’ I picked up the plank of wood that was holding her down and she scurried out. She was coughing like crazy, as I was.   
  


“Bree! My daughter! We got separated! I don’t know where she is! Oh, God! Please not her!” The woman cried.   
  


“I have to get you out of here! I will come back for her okay? Come on.” I tried to reason with her, but she was in hysterics, as she should be. I took in a deep breath (which was idiotic on my part and I instantly coughed out) and wrapped my arm around her waist and found the nearest window and jumped through it. I set her down gently on the ground near the paramedics.   
  


“She needs medical attention.” I said. I turned around to swing back up there before there was a big explosion. I heard the woman screaming in the background. I held her back as she tried to run towards the building which started crumbling.   
  


The building came crashing down and there was nothing I could do but just stand there. I felt numb. The woman’s crying became tuned out as I stared at the rubble that used to be a place where these people lived.   
  


“Karen?” I choked out. Wishing, _hoping_ that I was imagining this.   
  


“I’m sorry, Peter.” Karen solemnly said as the woman clung to me, sobbing.   
  


_I couldn’t save her. Bree. I couldn’t save her.  
_  
  


I stumbled back as a paramedic pulled the lady off of me. Turns out I was holding onto her As much as she was to me. I turned away from the pile of rubble and just started swinging on autopilot.   
  


_I couldn’t save her._

I got home, went through the front door with my regular clothes on, because I wanted to get out of that suit as soon as possible. I found May staring at the TV with a shocked face as they explained that everyone got out safely except for a eleven year old girl who was found under all the debris, dead at the scene. May turned her head and her eyes were filled with sympathy. She got up and tried to hug me, but I dodged it and made my way to my room. 

_I couldn’t save her._   
  


Only until I heard May’s room door close, did I let the tears rapidly fall down my cheeks.   
  


  
  


———————

I walked through the open doors of the school letting a small smile play on my lips as I walked on the school tiles for the first time in 5 years. Junior year. We were brought back in April and the school board decided to let us get settled and come back in August. Yeah, like four months would let us get back five years.   
  


I saw in the corner of the hallway, Betty Brant still doing the School news and even that little thing made my smile get brighter... until they brought up a picture of the familiar burning building where “SpiderMan saved everyone.”  
  


_Not everyone._

“Peter!” I heard a familiar voice behind me and smiled as I turned to see Ned bring out his hand to do our handshake. Afterwards I pulled him into a hug. I saw him once back in May, but since then I’ve been busy with an actual Stark internship.   
  


“God, I’ve missed you Ned. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to—”

  
“You don’t have to explain. I know how stressful life has been for you lately.” He interrupted me and leaned closer to me, “I saw what happened on the news. Peter, you better not beat yourself up about this. It wasn’t your fault.” I nodded, not really taking what he said in to consideration. If I was faster I could have saved her. If I—

“Have you talked to MJ?” Bed interrupted my thoughts.   
  


“Um, I have texted her now and then but I haven’t seen her since the blip. Well, since the bus. I actually got blipped in space.” His head snapped back at me. Oh. I didn’t tell him about that.   
  


“You fought Tha-”

  
“What’s up, Losers.” MJ popped out of nowhere and Ned enveloped her into a hug and she stood there, no attempt to hug back. She looked at me and waved with what looked like a smile on her face. It was gone just as fast as I saw it. But I saw it.   
  


“Hey, MJ.” I said, waving back.   
  


“Good to know you two are still losers.” She said and then looked towards the door, “Yo, who’s the new guy?” I turned to look and saw Harley with his curly blonde locks as he made eye contact with me. He then proceeded to roll his eyes as he walked up to me.   
  


“Tony said you were gonna show me around.” He said with no enthusiasm at all. I could feel Ned and MJ staring at the back of my head.   
  


“Oh! Y-yeah. But if you want someone else to show you around I- I’m pretty sure the principal could find someone else.” I started stuttering. He looked at me with no emotion at all, “or not?” I couldn’t read him.

“I d’know anyone else so let’s just get this over with, yeah?” His southern accent showing making Ned and Mj look at him even more confused.   
  


“Yeah yeah, cool cool. Um let’s go get your schedule and your locker number.” I said, “The principal wants to meet you first. There aren’t many people who come to Midtown who are from Tennessee.” I chuckled a little, answering Ned and MJ’s confused looks. Luckily the bell rang and they had to get to class. Ned and I did our handshake which earned us a smirk from Harley and MJ just looked Harley up and down, doing a much better neutral expression than Harley was doing before. Then she raised her eyebrows and left.   
  


“So uh, the office is this way.” I started walking and he followed. We made it and the Principal gave us a welcoming smile.   
  


“It’s so good to see you again, Peter. I can’t believe that after five years of not believing your internship was real, The Tony Stark called me and asked you to show around Harley!” I could practically feel Harley smirking at that.   
  


“Yeah, um... he needs his schedule and locker number.” I blurted out. I knew it was rude, but I knew Harley wanted to get away from me as fast as possible. I can’t blame him, though.

  
“Luckily he has most classes with you so you don’t have to be late to your classes, Peter.” The principal smiled.   
  


“Well then that is just great!” Harley put on a fake smile, but I could tell he was disappointed.   
  


“Okay well here is your locker number and combination and your schedule, and it was great to meet you Harley. If you need any help at all, I’m here.” 

When we finally got out of there we started walking to first period.   
  
  
I opened the door and all the girls eyes fell on Harley. I mean, he _is_ hot.

  
“God dammit! Penis Parker was blipped?” A familiar voice exclaimed. I gave him a thumbs up.

“Nice to see you too, Flash.” I said and Harley just snickered.

“Penis Parker. Clever.” I gave him a glare and then found my way to my seat next to MJ. Harley found an empty one on the other side of her.   
  


“Hey, darlin.” Harley said to her and she glanced over her book giving him a unimpressed look then returned to her book. He scrunched up his eyebrows and I smiled to myself. I saw a tiny smile that she was hiding from behind the book. _Good to know I have MJ on my side._

  
Harley left me alone for most of the day. Probably because he didn’t really care. But I do remember in the gym he was watching me fail at sit ups. _Oh, if only he knew._

“How about tomorrow?” I asked Ned. He got a new LEGO set but I really just wanted to be alone tonight. After all, everyone was still talking about the fire and I didn’t need to be reminded.   
  
  


“Sure, yeah.” He said. I could hear the disappointment in his voice, and I get bad. Then the bell rung. Finally.   
  
  


I quickly made my way out, not giving any attention to the school, unlike this morning. I saw a very familiar car parked out in the front and Saw Happy leaning on the side of it. I tried my best to act like I didn’t see him. As I took out my phone and started to walk away. In my peripheral, I saw Harley making his way to the car.   
  


“Watcha doing, Peter?” Happy shouted. I stopped in my tracks and mustered up a smile as I turned his way.   
  


“Hey, Happy! Didn’t see you there!” I smiled.

“Bullshit. Get in the damn car.” He said.   
  


“Um... I’ve got... homework.” Dammit! Why do I always go with that excuse. He looked at me not amused. _Great so now Tony is going to get on to me for doing everything wrong with the fire. Just Great_.  
  


“Come on, Peter. Don’t get me in trouble with Tony.” I huffed and made my way to the car as people started piling out of the doors of the school. I walked quicker to the car before anyone saw me. I looked out to see Flash just on his phone. He didn’t see. Thank god.   
  


“If you wanted people to actually believe you about the internship, I would probably want them to see me get in a cool ass ride with Tony’s old bodyguard.” Harley scoffed.   
  


“Well, I think that would just make things worse.” I said and he just rolled his eyes and didn’t talk to me for the rest of the ride.

I texted May that I was going to the Compound and wouldn’t be back home until later.   
  


“He wants you guys to go to his penthouse.” Happy said. I looked at him confused.

“Why not the workshop?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t work for him anymore.” He said.   
  


“Could have fooled me.” Harley replied. I smiled at that.   
  


Harley and I got into the elevator. “Penthouse, FRIDAY.” I said and I could feel Harley staring at me. “What?” I asked a little too harshly.

“Just never thought that _the_ Peter Parker could have a bad day.“ He sneered and it took all my willpower not to knock him to the ground. Before I could say anything back, the elevator door opened.   
  


Morgan came running up to me and I picked her up with ease and spun around. Just seeing her made my day ten times brighter.   
  


“You boys behave. I’m taking Morgan to go get our nails done.” Mrs. Stark said. I gave Morgan a kiss on the forehead and put her down so she could follow her mother to the elevator.

“There you two are! How was your first day of school?” Mr. Stark came out of nowhere.   
  


“Uh. Um good.” I stuttered. God, I’m an idiot.   
  


“I thought that since Pepper was taking Morgan somewhere, we just can chill.” Mr. Stark said and we both gave him confused looks. “Oh come on. I want you guys to get to know each other and what better way than to like watch a movie or play games or whatever it is teenagers do these days.”   
  


“That sounds great, Old man.” Harley joked.   
  


“Um. I was planning on having Ned come over to my house and we build the new—” My words died in my mouth because building legos does not sound cool.   
  


“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” Mr. Stark sassed. “The food is down in the lobby and I’m gonna go get it. You two behave.”   
  


As soon as he left Harley plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. There was the building again. They we’re talking about how wonderful it was that I saved all those people. I scoffed after they thanked Spider-Man.

“What?” Harley snapped.   
  


“Nothing. I’m just sick of the news talking about that story.” I said.   
  


“Well I think it’s great that they are recognizing Spider-Man for something other than bringing bicycle thieves to justice. I mean, just knowing that there is someone out there that is willing to put their life on the line to save people is... it gives me faith in humanity.” He rambled and I just rolled my eyes. “You don’t think so?”  
  


“Well, he clearly isn’t doing his best.”   
  


“What’s that supposed to mean?” _Of course he likes Spider-Man._

“Did you hear about that girl? The one he didn’t save?”   
  


“Are you serious?” Harley questioned. “He has done so much good and—”

“I’m just sick of people calling him a hero when all he does is screw things up!” I raised my voice. He looked at me with shock.

“Wow. I don’t know what Tony sees in you.” He spat out. And to be honest, that hurt. Probably more than it should have because I was wondering the same thing.

“Tell Mr. Stark that I had to go because my pet goldfish died or something.” I said as I made my way to the elevator before it opened and out came Mr. Stark with the food. I made my way around him and into the elevator.  
  


“Hey, kid. Where are you going?”

“My pet goldfish died.” I lied and he looked at me with such disappointment.   
  
  


_I'm sorry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Kudos and Comments are welcomed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, kid. I wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday before you ran off.” Tony spoke in a calm voice.
> 
> “What? So you can lecture me about what I did wrong? Don’t worry, I kinda got that.” Tony felt his chest clench at Peter’s words. He could hear the pain in the kid’s voice.

**Third POV**

“What the hell happened?” Tony asked Harley.   
  


“Well, the dick was trash talking Spider-Man.” Harley exclaimed. Tony looked at him with disbelief.

“What? That doesn’t make since. He-”

“He works on his suit! I know!” Harley interrupted him. Tony looked at him for a good long minute.

“What caused him to leave?” Tony asked.   
  


“I—” Harley stopped myself, “It wasn’t me! He got so frustrated that I was defending Spider-Man that he left.” Tony gave him the ‘I don’t believe you’ look and sat down the food.

“FRIDAY, tell Happy to bring the car around the back.”   
  


“Where are you going?” Harley asked.

“To make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”   
  


—————

There was a knock on the door and Peter had a feeling he knew exactly who it was.   
  


“Don’t answer it, May.” May gave Peter a weird look before she went to open the door. Peter just went to his room and closed the door. If he could get even a sliver of a minute to himself, that would be great.   
  


A few minutes later, there was a knock on his door. He took in a deep breath and opened it up. He went right back to his chair and started working on his web shooters.   
  


“Hey, kid. I wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday before you ran off.” Tony spoke in a calm voice.   
  


“What? So you can lecture me about what I did wrong? Don’t worry, I kinda got that.” Tony felt his chest clench at Peter’s words. He could hear the pain in the kid’s voice.   
  


“No. I came to tell you how proud I was of you.” Peter finally looked up at Tony with tears in his eyes as he purses his lips.   
  


“I couldn’t save her.” He said, his voice shattering.   
  


“Hey. Sometimes, we can’t save everyone.” Tony took a deep breath in, “I shouldn’t have lived.” Peter snapped his head up at that.  
  


“No. Don’t you _ever_ say that.”

”It’s true though, Kid. I should have died on that field.” Tony smiled, “But then I saw you and I remembered why I did it in the first place. I remembered why I _had_ to live.”  
  


“W-what?”   
  


“You are the reason I helped bring everyone back.” Tony said. “Now, stop making me get all sappy and come on.”

“If it’s okay with you, I’m gonna spend some time to myself. I’ve been so stressed out, I think I need it.” Peter insisted.

“Okay. Just know, that you are important to me too.” Tony smiled and patted Peter on the back. 

  
“Hey, Mr. Stark?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.” Tony smiled at that.

“This is so sweet!” May said from behind the closed door.   
  


“May!”   
  


——————

As Mr. Stark left, I could not take that smile off his face. Mr. Stark went through all of that, for _me_. I took out my phone, and shot Ned a text.

_Come over with the LEGO set._

  
_Yes!_

_  
_ As soon as Ned came in my room he closed the door and looked at me with such amazement.  
  
“Okay, I have been waiting all day! You fought _the_ Thanos?!” I chuckled at that.   
  


“Yeah, both times. I actually carried the gauntlet across the battlefield. I like, took it from Black Panther, or T’Challa, and then I got stuck and Cap was like, “Hey, Queens! Heads up!” And he threw the hammer and I swung a web so I could get out of the pile of alien like things and then— Then the explosions went off. And I was so scared for my life!” I took a deep breath in, “And then Captain Marvel came out of nowhere and like an idiot, I was like, “Hi, I’m Peter Parker.” And she was like, “Hey Peter Parker. You got something for me?” And then—” I kept on rambling on and Ned looked at me with such amazement. I left out the part about Mr. Stark, because, everyone already knew what he did and I wanted to keep that to myself. “The first fight with him was not so great because StarLord messed it up and- and I got blipped in Mr. Stark’s arms and—” I swallowed my words as they wouldn’t come all the way up. That was the scariest part of it. Dying. Not fighting Thanos. The pain also was unbearable. My body kept trying to piece itself back together as it kept falling apart. I never told anyone though. Luckily, Ned caught on that I didn’t want to talk about it anymore.  
  


“I brought the new LEGO Death Star set!” He changed the topic. “It’s only 500 pieces but, I think that is good enough.”   
  


“Good!” I stuck my head out my door, “Hey, May? Can we get some pizza tonight?”   
  


“Sure, honey!” May replied. 

  
After a while, we got about halfway done with the LEGO set before Ned’s parents wanted him home. I told him he could leave it here and we would finish it up tomorrow.   
  


After he left, I hopped into bed because the day had been exhausting. I laid there, staring at my ceiling for about thirty minutes, trying to force myself to sleep. I heard May’s door close to her room and pulled out my phone.

_10:30._

I threw off my covers and opened up my closet door. I stood there for a minute, staring at the red and blue suit. I felt this _need_ to go out and I couldn’t figure out why. After what felt like forever, I finally grabbed it and put it on. I ever so Quietly pulled up my window and made my way out, swinging in the night. 

It was really quiet. There weren’t many cars out and everything seemed at peace at night. That’s why I loved doing night patrols. I could fight crime, but also I could enjoy the night sky all to myself as I swung from building to building.   
  


“Empty your pockets, NOW!” I heard about a block away and I could feel my spider senses going through the roof. I made my way over to the noise and gently set myself on the building above the alleyway. There were two dudes towering over someone with guns pointed at the person. 

I effortlessly fell to the ground doing my best not to make a sound. I snuck up to them and put my hands on my hips, getting ready to be sassy.

“I don’t think it’s pretty polite to point a gun at people. You might hurt someone. Or yourself.” I said in a sarcastic voice and they both turned around so quick, I thought they would break their necks. For a sliver of a second I saw fear in their eyes, but then they pointed their guns at me.   
  


“Move and we shoot!” The guy on the left said in a shaky voice. I put my hands up and acted as if I was cowering back in fear.

“Oh no! A gun! What will I ever do?” I shrieked and then flung my hands in the direction of their guns, yanking them out of their hands with my webs. I then flung a web on both of them and pulled at it so they came flying at me and I proceeded to knock them out. “Karen, do me a favor and call the police.”

I walked up to the guy who was crouched down on the ground against the wall. I couldn’t make out his features in the dark so I walked up to him and held out my hand. He looked up and I recognized those brown eyes right away. They mostly are looking at me (or Peter Parker) with contempt so it was weird to see them looking at me with amazement. He took my hand and I helped him up as he pushed one of his blonde locks out of his face.   
  


“Thank you.” Harley said to me, in his beautiful southern accent. I cleared my throat before I lowered my voice.   
  
  


“Uh yeah, anytime, Harley.” _Shit_.

“How do you know my name?” He tilted his head.   
  


“Um, Mr. Stark has talked about you from time to time.” I surprised myself with how fast I came up with the lie. Although, it wasn’t really a lie.   
  


“Oh.” He said.   
  


“Why are you down in Queens?” I blurted out.   
  


“Oh, one of my... _coworkers_ wouldn’t shut up about Delmars Sandwiches and I guess I just wanted to try it. But they were closed so...” Harley explained and I chuckled at that.

“Best sandwich in Queens.” I said and couldn’t help myself smiling under the mask.   
  


“Yeah, well, I also couldn’t find it so maybe tomorrow you could show me around Queens?” Harley asked nonchalantly. _Damn, what I would kill for his self confidence._  
  


“Uh, yeah.” I said without taking in what he said. 

“Okay, how about I meet you right here at six tomorrow.”   
  


“Sure, sure. Cool.” I blabbered again, without even thinking. _What the fuck am I doing?_

_“_ Great, it’s a date then, darlin.” Harley smirked as he walked off, leaving me in the alley, to think about how stupid it was of me to just continue to talk to him instead of leaving after I saved his ass.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry Harley is such an asshole... well to Peter Parker. He will probably be like that for a while because well, I want to. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed. Kudos and comments are appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been busy so you might not get an update tomorrow, but I will try.

  
  


**Harley’s POV**

I can’t believe Spider-Man actually agreed! Well, he probably won’t show up, but we will see.   
  


I barely got any sleep last night because I was too excited for today. I opened my closet and put on a pair of ripped jeans and a Led Zeppelin T-shirt. Then I made my way to the kitchen.   
  


“Mmm. Something smells good.” I walked up and sat down on a stool in front of the counter. Pepper picked up Morgan so she could set a plate in front of me. I smiled at Morgan and pointed to my plate.   
  


“Did you make this... for me?” I let my eyes brighten and she giggled as she nodded her head. “Mmm. I bet it tastes just as good as it smells.” 

  
“What has you in such a good mood?” Tony appeared from the hallway. I shrugged as I kept the smile on my face.

“Ooo, is it a girl?” Pepper teased. I scrunched up my nose at that. 

“No...” _Just you friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.  
  
_

I finished eating and flung my book bag onto my back and made my way to the elevator.   
  


“Happy is on his way.” Tony called out.   
  


“Well, tell him not to wait up. I’m taking the subway!” I held up a peace sign, but not bothering to turn around. I heard Tony scoff as I got in the elevator.   
  


I made my way through the doors of the school and to my locker.   
  


“What’s up, new guy?” A voice said as it leaned against the locker next to me.   
  


“Hi, Eugene.” I said coolly as I remembered how nobody called him by his first name. I took my face out of my locker to stare him in the eye with a smirk.   
  


“So, since a couple of the people from our decathlon team were not blipped, we are short a couple of people. And for some reason, Mr. Harrington is making me be in charge of finding new people. I mean, I’ve seen you working on things in robotics. We could use someone like you. Also, you should thank me. I don’t give out compliments.” He explained, clearly not caring that I called him Eugene. Which confused me, but I just didn’t show it.   
  


“I’ll think about it, Darlin.” I gave him a wink and I saw red creep up on his face.   
  


“Oh. Okay. Um, uh great.” Flash stuttered. _I got him._ “Our practice is tomorrow after school. So if your interested...”

“Of course, darlin.” I gave him a pat on the back and went to first period.   
  


After a bunch of chemistry and calculus, the day was finally over. I found Happy out by the side of the school, and hopped in the car. Peter was just sitting there on his phone. I rolled my eyes and didn’t even attempt a conversation.   
  


We got out and went up to the workshop. Tony was up there, working on an IronMan suit prototype and Peter went to his corner and dumped out of his book bag a bunch of white fluid. (Get your mind out of the gutter.) 

“What is that?” I sneered. He looked up at me and immediately started to get flustered.   
  


“Oh! Um... it’s Spider-Man’s web fluid. I make it at school sometimes cause sometimes he needs it b- before I come here and...” He stopped himself and I could see Tony smirking in my peripheral.   
  


“So you do _everything_ for him?” I asked and my eyes bored into his soul.   
  


“Um well not the swinging around, beating up bad guys part of course.” He chuckled and I would have chuckled too, if I didn’t despise him. _Wait... why do I despise him, again?  
_

“Hmm. Cool.” I said and then walked off to my corner. 

  
I kept looking at the clock and every single time I did, I could swear that Peter would be looking at me.   
  


“What’s so fascinating about the clock, Harls?” Tony interrupted my thoughts.   
  


“I gotta cute date soon.” I looked up at Tony, “Speaking of, under the mask, is Spider-Man cute?” Tony’s eyebrows perked up at that and he looked over at Peter, who was blushing profusely.   
  


Tony smirked, “Adorable.” It was quiet for a second before Tony’s eyes widened in realization. “Wait... when did you meet Spider-Man?”   
  
  


“Oh, some dudes with guns tried to mug me last night.” Tony’s head snapped up at me and he gave a glance to Peter. 

“Y-you got mugged?” Peter asked in a weird, higher than normal voice.   
  


“No.” I scoffed. “Spider-Man saved me, and he is going to show me around Queens in about,” I looked up at the clock and grinned, “thirty minutes. See you two losers later!” I grabbed my jacket and ran to the elevator.   
  


**Peter’s POV**

As Harley left I started to pack up my things with my cheeks still burning up in embarrassment.   
  


“So... _Spider-Man_. A date, huh?” Mr. Stark smirked at me.   
  


“N-no. I’m just showing him around.” I said. “You know, I was just planning on standing him up, but then I just saw how happy he was so...”

“So?”

“I still don’t know if I wanna hang out with someone who has only been cold to me since he came.” I admitted truthfully.   
  


“Hmm. Too bad you can’t be an asshole even if you tried.” I rolled my eyes at him and made my way to the balcony.  
  


“Have fun! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! Or anything I would!” Mr. Stark pointed at me and I gave him a mock salute as I swung myself over the railing.   
  


I made my way into an alley to change and then I webbed my book bag onto the back of a trash can. I took a deep breath as I swung to the alley where I saved Harley.   
  


_This is gonna end badly._

There he was. Just standing there, with his blonde, perfect hair flopping in the wind. _God, was he hot... Wait, what?_  
  


I flipped down from the building I was perched on and landed right in front of him. He put on his signature smirk, not really paying attention to the few people on the street giving us weird looks.

“Mm. 3 minutes late. To be honest, I didn’t think you were going to show, darlin.” He winked. I could feel my ears redden.  
  


“I didn’t think you thought so little of me. But also, is it normal for you to flirt with the Avengers?” I asked, trying to show a bit of confidence.

“Only the cute ones.” He smiled and I could feel my heart hammering out of my chest, while I could hear his just beating a little faster than normal. _How does he do it?_

“Wow. Smooth.” I said sarcastically after I regained my composure.   
  


“So. Mode of transportation. I doubt you can go around like... that.” He gestured to my suit. “How about we swing? I’ve never done that before.” He smiled. _Oh, was he gonna regret this._

“Okay. Hold on!” I grabbed him faster than he could come up with another snarky remark and as soon as I flung a web and I jumped he yelped. As I started swinging, his eyes widened but after the first few swings, he relaxed and closed his eyes, rested his face in the nook of my neck. I could feel my breath quicken but it slowly started to slow. I decided to take him to Delmar’s so he could get dinner.   
  


“Um, you should go in and uh, get the sandwiches. I’ll be...” I looked around before pointing up on the roof right across the street. 

“Okay, what do you want, Darlin?” He _is gonna have to stop calling me that._  
  
  


I told him my order and told him to pet Delmar’s cat for me. He walked in and then a few minutes later he walked out and waved to me. I jumped down, landing on my feet with ease which he playfully rolled his eyes at. He gave me my sandwich, then I grabbed him by the waist and started swinging until I found the perfect rooftop to view of the sunset. 

  
“Hmmm. The longer we hang out, the longer I’m thinking this a date. Just so you know, this is definitely date-ish.” Harley joked. I chuckled at his stupid joke and let my legs swing off the roof as Harley looked down and crossed his legs. I smirked, and God, I wish he could see it.   
  
“I guess we will have to see what I have planned for tomorrow, Hmm?” His head snapped up at me.   
  
  


“Really?” I nodded.

“Yeah, why not? I had fun.” I said, letting my trying deep voice falter. I realized my mistake right when I did it.

“Oh my God. How young are you?” Oh. He didn’t recognize my voice.   
  


“Um... promise you won’t freak out?” He knitted his eyebrows together and then finally nodded.

“16.” His eyes widened at that, “But I turn 17 in a week!”   
  


“What the hell? Tony recruited a fucking 13 year old?”   
  


“Well I had just turned 14 when he took me to Germany.” I said but Harley gave me an unimpressed look. “I feel like he knew that I wasn’t going to stop anyways, so he instead made me a multimillion dollar suit to keep me safe.” Harley nodded in understanding.   
  


“Well, I think it is awesome what you do. Going out there, saving people. It’s... _you_ are a hero. No wonder why Tony took you under his wing.” Harley said and then playfully bumped into me. When he said that, I felt my heart soar.

I think I could get along with this Harley.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Comments and Kudos and appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wait wait wait, you were bit? Let me guess? By a spider.” I still continued to look at him with such amazement.  
> “Yeah. Uh, I was actually on a field trip, when I was bit by a spider at Oscorp. I woke up the day afterwards, feeling like shit. And then later in the day, everything was louder and every single sudden movement made me jump. I couldn’t even open a door without breaking off the doorknob. Or getting stuck to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, again. I am having such a great time making this! I hope you guys are happy with what I’m making. If you have any requests, I’d love to hear them!

  
  


**Harley’s POV**

I walked into the gym for Decathlon and looked around the room, scanning the people who are a part of this little team. There was Betty Brant, the blonde who did the school news. There was Flash, of course. There was MJ, with her face in a book. She actually snapped at me today for calling her MJ. She told me to call her Michelle, but she also said she would probably ignore me. I like her. Over in the far corner of the gym, there was Ned and _oh shit_.

Of course Perfect Parker would be here. He is _way_ “too smart” not to be.   
  


“Oh! Mr. Keener! So glad you could join us! Um, so this is our first meeting since the blip because I disbanded the team after I lost the most valuable members... I also was going through a lot.” Mr. Harrington shook my hand and then his smile faded as he momentarily brought up something about his wife faking being blipped. 

“So, uh. This is the decathlon team. Since Abe and Charles and Cindy graduated last year, its only us. Luckily this is all we need. MJ is the team captain.” MJ looked up from her book and gave me an insincere wave before returning to her book. _Yep. She clearly doesn’t like me._  
  


I glanced over to Peter, who was watching the clock, with his foot shaking like crazy. Ned was talking to Peter enthusiastically, but Peter clearly wasn’t listening.   
  


“Well, I’m here.” I said to Mr. Harrington who smiled gleefully at me.   
  


“So I heard your expertises is in engineering? That is great!” 

“Uh, yeah. I build stuff now and then. Back home I had an entire garage full of stuff I used to build. Robots and stuff.” _And arm cannons and repulsor rays and flame throwers from scratch._

  
“Yeah, well we will definitely need someone to fill in for Parker when he ghosts us.” Flash turned to look at Peter who’s face immediately got red.   
  


“I-it’s not my fault I- I have a sensitive immune system. I get exposed to things easily.” Peter stuttered trying time explain.   
  


“Sure, _Penis_.” Flash sarcastically said.  
  


“Language!” Mr. Harrington announced.   
  
  
“How long is practice?” I asked. MJ took her head out of her book and looked at me, her face showing no expressions.

“You got somewhere to be?” MJ stated as if it was a fact and not a question.   
  


“I’ve got a... date? I don’t really know what to call it, but we hang out so.” Ned’s head snapped towards Peter who’s ears were a bright red, and gave Peter a smile... _Was he making fun of me?  
_

“Ok well practice will be done in 15 minutes so how about you just sit down, while MJ quizzes Peter?”

MJ got behind the podium and Peter sat in a desk.

MJ cleared her throat and began asking him multiple different questions, mostly physics, which he answered with ease. When it came to Chemistry he was not as quick but still answered within a few seconds. I noticed the subject he struggled with was Literature, but even then he got most of the questions correct. Okay, maybe he is really smart.  
  


“Good job, Peter.” MJ gave Peter a semi smile and then turned to Flash and smirked, “Do you wanna go next?”   
  


Peter kept looking at the clock every few minutes and I just wanted to know what the big deal was. As soon as the clock reached 4:45, Peter jumped out of his seat, gave Mr. Harrington a quick goodbye and just ran out of the classroom. Everyone just looked at the door like he would come back any minute now.  
  


“Good to know some things never change.” Mr. Harrington said as he stood up and dismissed us.   
  


Before Ned walked out, I caught up to him. “Hey, what’s up with him?” I asked Ned and he looked at me like a deer in headlights.

“What? What do you mean? What’s up with you? Nothing is up. Peter is just... what’s up with you?” He grimaced at his own attempt to talk and turned around toward the door. 

  
“Peter is hiding something. Like all teenagers do. For most it’s porn, but for him it seems to be something else entirely.” Flash came up from behind me and scoffed “It’s probably drugs. Anyways, that guy has always been handed things on a silver plater.”   
  


I nodded in agreement. It sure seems like it. I mean, he out of nowhere becomes the personal intern for Tony Stark and his life is amazing. His parents must be so lucky to have him as a son. So _perfect_.

  
“I’ve gotta go, _Flash_. See you later.” I gave him a smile, which he mirrored in return and I turned to leave.   
  


I went up to the penthouse to eat dinner and then I headed to the elevator.   
  


“Where you going, Harls?” Tony asked me, but then glanced at me knowingly, “Ah, you are going on another date with Spidey, huh?”   
  


“It’s not a date.” I sighed, “We are just hanging out.”   
  


“Mmhm. Well, where are you going tonight?”

“I don’t know. Hopefully somewhere nice though.” I smiled. Tony smirked and I just hit him playfully on the arm. ”I’ll be back around 8!”   
  


I walked outside the back way and heard a familiar voice from behind me.

“Wanna lift?” I smiled as I turned around to se Spider-Man leaning against the concrete wall. “Or I could always meet you in the alley, if you’d like.” I could practically feel him smirking under the mask. 

  
“Of course, Darlin. Where we going?”   
  


“I didn’t sleep well last night, so about coffee?” He suggested.   
  


“Too busy fighting crime?” I asked and I could hear how forced his laugh was.

“Yeah. We can say that.” He pulled me close to him and we zipped up. No matter how many times he did it, my breath would always be taken away.

It was scary, but exhilarating. I couldn’t help but smile as the wind was hitting my face. I loved the feeling of being in the air. It felt... freeing.   
  


He dropped me off in front of the coffee shop and I went in and got his order along with mine. It was cute, really. He ordered a vanilla latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

I got outside and found him waiting outside the door with his phone out.   
  


“Here’s your latte, Spidey.” I handed it to him and he looked up to the roof right across the street. He looked back at me for my answer which I simply just nodded. He once again snaked his arm around me and we went up in the air.   
  


We landed on the roof and I kinda stumbled, but he caught me before I fell. We both started giggling as we both carefully sat down. He looked down at his drink before he hesitantly pulled up his mask to the tip of his nose and brought the drink to his lips. I took a good look at the lower part of his face. He had a very nice defined jaw, but not too defined. He had cute dimples and his lips looked so soft and full. 

“So... what should I call you? I feel kinda weird just calling you Spidey.” He let out a soft laugh.   
  


“You mean like something like, _Hank_?” Spidey pursed his lips.   
  


“Is that your name?” I smirked.  
  


“No... um... how about... Richard?” He turned to me.   
  


“Oh, so like, Dick?” I chuckled at my own joke, as he scoffed.   
  


“Um, it was my dad’s name.” Oh. _Was_.

“I’m sorry.” I apologized, mentally cursing myself for making fun of his dead father’s name.   
  
  


“No! It’s fine. I don’t remember that much about my parents. They died when I was pretty young. I mean, I remember the last time he looked at me, like he was proud of me, and I remember my mother’s voice and smile.” He gave a soft smile, looking out into the busy roads full of cars, probably people coming off of work.   
  


I couldn’t figure out what to say to that, so I just nodded quietly and stayed silent.   
  


“So, how about you? What’s your story?” He gave me a playful grin.   
  


“Well, my dad left us when I was young, so it’s been only my little sister and my mom. Well, she used to be my little sister. She now is older than me. It’s so weird.”   
  


“I get it. A few of my friends graduated high school last year and well, I guess that’s just what happens. People get older.”   
  


“Hmm. Well, I guess I owe you a thank you for making sure we stayed back.” I gave a soft chuckle.   
  


“Yeah, well. I didn’t really do anything. I mean I did carry the gauntlet across the battlefield, but...” He shook his head. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it.

“Well, you are still a great hero.” I assured him, “One of my coworkers, um, I guess you know Peter. The guy who works in your suit?” I looked at him for an answer. He just nodded. “He seems to just think that you screw things up. I can’t really explain it, but I felt like I _had_ to defend you. The one thing that bugs me though, is that he still works on your suit for you and helps you.” 

  
“Yeah, I guess you could say he has mixed feelings about me.” He bit his lip, seemingly trying to find something else to say. “I uh, I was there... when his uncle died. I think he still kinda resents me for not being able to save him.” His voice cracked. “I couldn’t do anything. I just... froze. He was the first,” he took in a deep breath, “the first person to die in front of me.”   
  


I gave him a look of sympathy as I just sat there, quietly. He cared so much, about someone he didn’t even know. And most importantly, he was okay with people despising him. He respected that. I know I could never do that. The fact that the guy in front of me was so full of goodness in his heart, it made _my_ heart do a backflip.   
  


But then I realized what he said. _Peter’s Uncle died?_ They must of been really close if he wanted to blame Spider-Man for his death. 

He took another sip of his drink before he threw it behind him. I frowned and turned around, seeing it make it into the trash can that was on the other side of the roof. I turned to look at him with my mouth hanging open.

He looked at me and laughed. “What?”   
  


“You just... y-you made that. Without even looking.” I stuttered, staring at him in awe. He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders as he pulled his mask back down.   
  


“Ever since I was bit, my senses have been dialed up to eleven and I’ve also got this thing I call a spider sense. It warns me of danger.” He said as if it was the most basic thing in the world.

“Wait wait wait, you were bit? Let me guess? By a spider.” I still continued to look at him with such amazement.   
  


“Yeah. Uh, I was actually on a field trip, when I was bit by a spider at Oscorp. I woke up the day afterwards, feeling like shit. And then later in the day, everything was louder and every single sudden movement made me jump. I couldn’t even open a door without breaking off the doorknob. Or getting stuck to it.”   
  


“So, you are saying, that if I got bit by one of those spiders, I could become Spider-Man?” His eyes widened at that and shook his head vigorously.   
  


“NO!” He winced at how he yelled at me, “Sorry, um... I found out, later on that after I started swinging around, Oscorp experimented with their spiders on about 20 people but all of them died within the day. Um, so they destroyed all the radioactive spiders and never spoke about it again.”   
  


“How did you survive?” I asked, totally confused. He shrugged. “What happened to the spider that bit you?”   
  


“I found it the next morning with a web connected to the bite on my neck, dead. Probably because of all the radiation coursing through it.” He hypothesized. “I have no idea how I survived. I guess I was lucky.” He shrugged. I shook my head.

“That isn’t luck. There had to be a reason you lived.” I could feel my scientific curiosity taking over so I took in a deep breath, keeping myself from bombarding him with questions. He snickered at my attempt to calm down. I playfully pushed him and he widened his eyes and fell off the roof. I gasped as I looked down, just to see him clinging to the side of the wall. He started giggling like crazy as I just rolled my eyes. He jumped up and landed perfectly on the ledge of the roof. “Don’t ever do that again!”

He continued to laugh at my suffering as I just thought I pushed a hero off a roof. That bastard.   
  


“You should have seen the look on your face!” He managed to say in between giggles. He put his hand over his stomach and one over his mouth, trying to contain himself.   
  


“You are an actual dick.” I pouted.   
  


“Nope. I believe that was my father.” He chuckled and I just shook my head, trying my best to not smile.   
  


He turned his head so quickly, and just like that, all the joy turned into seriousness. A few seconds after he jerked his head, there were sirens in the distance exactly where he was looking out. Without even saying goodbye, he jumped off the roof, swinging his way to the sirens.   
  


I let out a sigh and smiled. I took a sip of my coffee, proudly.   
  


_I’m kinda friends with a superhero._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! There is another one! I hope you guys enjoyed! And remember, any ideas you have, I would love to hear them! 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s been a minute since the last time I saw you.” I smiled behind her shoulder.  
> “Well I’ve been busy.” She smiled, “But I had to come back because I can’t miss Peter’s 17th birthday tomorrow.” I chuckled at that, refusing to even look at Harley. Hopefully he didn’t connect two and two together. After all, I never told him the exact date of Spider-Man’s birthday.

**Peter’s POV**

Believe it or not, it was fun to hang out with Harley. Of course, as Spider-Man. He hated me. Throughout the week, we kept finding time in our schedule to hang out and I got to know more about him. As he did me. But of course, I had to be careful.   
  


He is probably the closest friend I’ve had next to Ned and MJ. So at school, it hurts to see him hanging out with Flash and his group. It makes me realize that if he ever found out who was under the mask, he would despise not only me, but Spider-Man.   
  


After school, I made it home, since Wednesday’s were my off day from the lab. I plopped down on my bed and pulled out my phone. 

  
_Can you guys come over?  
  
_

_MJ: Sure, loser._

_Ned: On my way!_

I put my phone down and walked to the kitchen. I didn’t feel like eating, but I knew I had to. I didn’t eat that big of a lunch and I would rather not pass out. I decided to quickly put on my suit and go get some pizza for all of us.   
  
  


_The door is unlocked. I’ve gone to get some pizza.  
  
_

_Ned: Sweet!_

  
I swung to the pizza place and stopped in an alley to get changed. They probably wouldn’t serve me dressed head to toe in red and blue.   
  


I got the pizza, swung back in my window to see MJ and Ned in my room. I took off the mask and gave them a smile as I went to the bathroom to change.   
  


I came out to see them MJ in my chair, legs propped up on my desk and Ned laying down on my bed.   
  


“Pizza?” They both jumped up at that as I put it down on my desk.

“So... how is Harley?” MJ asked with a smirk on her face as she bit into a piece of her pepperoni pizza.   
  


“H- he’s doing good. Um... not with Peter Parker of course. But he likes the spider guy.” I chuckled at my own joke while both of them frowned.   
  


“Are you planning on telling him?” Ned asked.

“Telling him what?” I asked, as I finished my first piece of pizza.

“That you are Spider-Man. I mean, he is going to figure out, Peter. It’s just a matter of time. I found out.” MJ said.

“I told you.” I corrected.

“After I told you that I knew.” She scoffed. I nodded in agreement.   
  
  


“Well, he isn’t going to figure out, okay? All he knows about Spider-Man is that he is 16, turning 17 this week, he works with Mr. Stark, and he knows my order from Delmars and that coffee place down the road.” I said and their eyes widened at that.   
  


“Yeah, just average things everyone knows about our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.” MJ sneered and shook her head in disbelief. “If you wanna keep a secret you need to do a better job.”   
  


Her lecture was interrupted by my phone buzzing in my pocket. I pulled it out to read the Caller ID. Mr. Stark. I knit my eyebrows in confusion as I held up a hand for them to shush while I put the phone up to my ear.

“Hey, Mr. Stark.” MJ and Ned’s eyes widened.   
  


“Hey, kid. I know it’s your day off, but Morgan is begging for her little spider.” Mr. Stark chuckled.   
  


“Yeah, I can swing by. I’ll be there in a few.” I hung up and just turned to look at their astonished faces.   
  


“I’m sorry guys. But Morgan is literally begging for me. Rain check?” They both nodded, I’m guessing still surprised I have Mr. Stark’s number.   
  


I didn’t bother to put my suit on, since Harley lives there and it would be disastrous if he saw me changing. I gave the guys an awkward wave before I swung out of the window.   
  


I made my way to the compound and stopped swinging as I made it to the empty lobby. I walked through the doors after FRIDAY granted me access.   
  


I got up to the penthouse to see Wanda waving her magical fingers in front of an amazed Morgan. Morgan never gets tired of that.   
  


“That was quick.” I heard Harley’s cold voice. My chest felt tight as I heard how he talked to me.   
“I was in the area.” I shrugged.

_He doesn’t hate you, exactly. You’re Spider-Man._

I kept telling myself that, but it didn’t hurt any less. I ignored him, and walked up to Wanda and Morgan.   
  


“Petey!” Morgan ran up to me, forgetting about the red glowly stuff in front of her. I smiled as I once again picked her up with ease and spun her around.   
  


“Y’know, just forget about me. I don’t have any feelings.” Wanda joked, letting her thick accent be heard. I put down Morgan and went over to Wanda to pull her in for a hug.   
  


“It’s been a minute since the last time I saw you.” I smiled behind her shoulder.

“Well I’ve been busy.” She smiled, “But I had to come back because I can’t miss Peter’s 17th birthday tomorrow.” I chuckled at that, refusing to even look at Harley. Hopefully he didn’t connect two and two together. After all, I never told him the _exact_ date of Spider-Man’s birthday.  
  


“Petey has a birthday tomorrow?” Morgan asked looking up at me with a big grin on her face.   
  


“Yes, I do. It’s not that big of a deal though, really.” I shot Wanda a glare but she just smirked.   
  


“Mmm. Oh! You should know, that Tony is throwing you a party on Friday.” Wanda continued to smirk.

“That was supposed to be a surprise!” Mr. Stark popped into the living room.

  
“Mr. Stark! You don’t have to do that!” I whined.   
  


“Oh, Kid, I know I don’t have to. I want to. You can even bring Ned and that creepy girl. Plus I will take any excuse to party.” He winked at me.   
  


“Yes, let’s use the kids birthday as an excuse for you to throw a party.” Mrs. Stark came to the the living room from the kitchen. “Come on, Morgan. Time for bed.”   
  


“I want Petey to tuck me in and tell me a story.” She pouted. Mrs. Stark looked at me, hope shining through her eyes.

“Of course!” I replied and took her tiny hand as I led her down the hallway to her room.

I pulled the covers up to her shoulders and was about to turn off the light before she asked me to tell her a story.

“Oh! How could I have forgotten?” I asked in a silly voice which made her giggle.   
  


“I don’t want the story daddy tells me. I want a longer one.” She told me. I let out a huff of laughter as I could only guess what Mr. Stark would consider a story.   
  


“Once upon a time, there was a cute little girl who loved to read stories about adventures. Until one day, she was presented the opportunity to go on an adventure herself. She got ready, kissed her mother goodbye, and left her house, headed for the woods. It became dark real fast and she became scared. She lost sense of direction and wished for a miracle. Right after she wished, then, a young boy emerged out of the bushes and held out his hand, explaining he could help guide her through the woods. As they continued their journey through the dark woods, they got to know each other very well. They became best friends by the time they emerged out of the woods, finding the sun shining down on them. They found a chest filled with gold, the thing the girl was journeying to find. She closed the chest and looked at the boy.   
‘I thought I came looking for gold, to make me rich beyond my wildest dreams. But instead, I found something even more important. I found friendship.’ She took the hand of the boy and they ran off into the sunset, living happily ever after.”   
  


After I finished the story Morgan giggled.   
  


“That is better than any story my daddy has told.” I joined her in the giggles. After we both calmed down, I placed a kiss on her forehead and turned out the lamp.   
  


“Sweet dreams, Morgan.” I smiled.   
  


“I love you, Petey.” She said, before closing her eyes. I closed the door, with a big plastered grin on my face. I turned to leave and found Harley right in front of me, making me jump out of my skin in surprise.   
  


“That was a really pretty story, darlin.” He smiled and I gulped.   
  


“Y-yeah. I just uh, came up with it, off the top of my uh,” I pointed to my head, words escaping my... uh... “mind.” I finished my sentence. He smirked at my awkwardness. He looked me up and down and then just winked, “Night, Parker.” He passed by me, going to his room, leaving me flushed.   
  


_What the hell just happened?_

I just stood there for a moment, before walking back to the kitchen, where Wanda was sitting on a stool.   
  
  


“I can practically feel your anxiety from here. What happened?” She looked at me, worried. I pointed towards the hallway.

“Harley just... he was acting...” _Friendly? Flirty?_ “Weird?” I decided to use that word. Yeah. Weird.   
  


“Hmmm. Earlier he miserably failed at his attempt to flirt with me. I could tell it was a joke, but his southern charm is not that charming.” She chuckled. 

“H-how could you tell he was joking?” I asked, feeling my heart hammering out of my chest. She looked at me suspiciously.

“He was clearly not actually into me.” She raised her eyebrows at my question. ”Is that what you meant by acting ‘weird?’”

“Yeah.” I replied, feeling a blush creep back onto my cheeks.   
  


“My goodness, Little spider, you have no self confidence.” She giggled. I rolled my eyes at her. There was a moment of silence before she smirked at me, “Wanna go train?” 

I smiled, “Sure.”   
  


It has been a while since I last trained with Wanda. I could tell she has become more comfortable with her powers. Mr. Stark told me that ever since Thanos, she had become less afraid of her powers and more at peace with the aspect of them. I believe it is because when she uses them, she feels closer to Vision. I know he was important to her, but that’s all I really know. I believe they were like, together? It’s confusing but I know that they both really cared for one other.

When we made it to the training room, I went to the locker room and found a pair of shorts that were easier to move in then the jeans I had on and put on a white tank top I had in there and kept my webshooters on, grabbing an extra thing of web fluid and stuffed it in my shooters. I walked out to see Wanda was already in her Nike shorts and a gray tank top with her hair up in a messy bun.   
  


“Took you long enough.” She teased. I rolled my eyes as I could feel the hairs on my neck stand up and I ducked just to see a dumbbell flying past me, directed by none other than Wanda. She smirked.

“Oh, you wanna play dirty, huh?” I dodged another dumbbell and the next one that came hurtling towards me, I caught it with a web and flung it back at her. Her eyes widened and she put her hands, just in time to keep it floating inches away from her face. She let it drop in front of her as she looked at me with wide eyes.   
  


“You could have killed me! That thing was 50 pounds!” She exclaimed. I shrugged as I jumped up on a little ledge about eight feet in the air. There were plenty more, all the way up, stretching over 20 feet in the air. They were probably installed after I became an Avenger. Well, after we all came back.   
  


“I thought we were training. Not playing a game of catch.” I smirked and she made my foot slip off the ledge. “Woah!” I caught myself, throwing her a glare before swinging down. “Wanna do some hand to hand?” I suggested.

“Now you are just begging for me to beat your ass.” She smiled and then immediately threw the first punch, which I easily dodged. She kept on going for punches, and then surprised me as she kicked my feet out from underneath me. “Do you know how I did that?” She asked me, trying to teach a lesson as I was just laying on the ground.

“Um... you kept on throwing punches that I was so focused on that I didn’t bother to watch your feet?” I guessed and she nodded. She put her hand out for me to reach. I grabbed it and then pulled her down, bringing my legs to wrap over her shoulders and flipped her over onto her back so I was on top of her. I kept her locked onto the ground and didn’t move as I smirked at her. She groaned in pain and then gave me a smile.   
  


“You weren’t supposed to take advantage of me helping you, prick.” She joked and I just shrugged. 

“Well, you are supposed to be ready for anything, right?” I smiled and got up off of her. She sat up and levitated her water bottle towards her. She took a drink out of it and then sighed.   
  


“I think that is enough training for today. You have a big day tomorrow.” She threw me a smirk and I just shook my head.   
  


“It’s just a birthday.” I said. She got up and put a hand on my shoulder.   
  


“And you have only a few more birthdays until you are considered an adult. Cherish it.” She smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “See you later, little spider.”   
  


I got my stuff and said my goodbyes before I swung back to my apartment. I looked at the time and since it was only 10, I decided to slip into my suit and head out again.   
  


“What’s up, Karen?” I greeted her.

“I am doing great, Peter. Considering tomorrow is your birthday, you probably won’t be patrolling so in advance, happy birthday, Peter.” Karen said.   
  


“Thank you. What do you have for me?”

“It is unbelievably quiet tonight.”

“Hey, can you ask FRIDAY if Harley is still awake?” I waited a moment before Karen replied.

“He is.”

“Tell FRIDAY that Spider-Man wants to meet Harley on the roof of the compound.” I said, “Emphasis on the Spider-Man, Karen. He doesn’t know who I am.”   
  


“On it, Peter.” She said, “or, _Spider-Man_.”

“Wow you are getting better at the whole sarcastic quips.”

“I learn from the best.” She complimented me. Or well, I took as a compliment.

“Harley has been notified.”

“Thank you.”   
  
  


———————

I swung up onto the roof of the compound to see Harley sitting on the opposite side of where I do gracefully landed. He turned around to the noice and put on his signature smirk.  
  


“What took you so long?” He joked. I chuckled at the irony of that statement compared to my interaction with him from an hour ago.   
  


“I live in Queens, okay? I could have drived here and then you would be up here alone for another 10 minutes. Would you have preferred that?” I sarcastically said and he just smiled at me. “But then again, I don’t know how to drive. I once wrecked Flash’s car. Although, the douche may have deserved it.” My eyes widened as soon as I realized what I had just said.

“You know Flash?” He asked me. “What makes him such a douche? He seems okay to me.” 

“I’ve uh, heard Peter and Mr. Stark complaining about the dude before. He likes to uh, tease Peter about stuff. Some things are just teasing, other things are um... not great.”   
  


His eyebrows quirked up, “That’s weird. I mean, I’ve heard him call Peter Penis Parker, but I thought that was all it was. What else is there?”   
  


I thought about telling him everything. About how Flash has made my life a living hell since the first time we met. How he used to tease me about how my parents never bought me that nice of clothes, although as soon as someone had the balls to tell him that my parents were dead and that he should stop being so ignorant. After that, there was no talk about my parents. The only time he was ever even remotely nice to me, was the day I came back to school after Ben died. He told me he was sorry for my loss. He gave me a break for about a week before he went back to taunting me.

But I couldn’t tell him.  
  


After all, Harley was Flash’s friend. 

“Um... it’s not that bad.” He frowned at my statement. He knew there was more, but he let it go. Before his confused face came back.   
  


“Wait... how do you know Flash?” His eyes widened, “Do you go to Midtown?”   
  


“No.” I lied. Well I mean, it wasn’t _really_ a lie. Spider-Man doesn’t go to high school. Peter Parker does.

“Oh. Well, I would have loved to see the look on Flash’s face when you took the car.” He laughed and for some reason I felt my heart flutter.   
  


“Um, I uh... yeah. It would have been funny... if I wasn’t busy chasing down my girlfriend’s father.” I pursed my lips.   
  


“Oh...” Harley looked... _disappointed_?   
  


“Um, well. Then he dropped a building on me.” I let out a forced chuckle and his head snapped up at me.   
  
“What?”   
  


“Yeah. That’s one of the reasons why I came here. I try not to sleep...since... ever since I’ve come back after the blip, all I dream about is me being crushed under that building and of...” I stopped myself, but I knew I had to keep going. I hadn’t talked to anyone about it, but for some reason it was easier to say it under a mask to Harley of all people. “And of the excruciating pain of being blipped.” He looked really concerned at that last part.   
  


“What do you mean the pain? It was painless for me.” He looked really worried. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath.

“I guess it was my accelerated healing. Um... I could feel my body being torn apart but my body kept trying to piece itself together again. And on top of that, Dying in Mr. Stark’s arms...” My voice broke, “he looked so scared. Oh, God.” I took in a shaky breath as I felt a hand rubbing my back, comforting me.  
  


“Have... have you told Tony any of this?” Harley asked. And I violently shook my head.

“No! And I’m not going to.” I blurted out. He bit his lip but then nodded his head.   
  


“Okay.”   
  


“Um... so, uh... I’ve gotta go and uh, patrol. But uh... how about we meet here Saturday at uh... 6:00?”

“Sounds good.” He smiled.   
  


“Good.” I nodded and looked into his beautiful brown eyes one last time, before I got up and jumped off the roof.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! I’ve always liked the idea of Wanda and Peter being friends. If you guys have any ideas you want to share, that would be great! 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated! ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I’m late! I hope you enjoy this delayed chapter.

**Harley’s POV**

I woke up to my alarm and then FRIDAY’s voice resonated throughout my room.

“Good morning, Harley. It is 7:00 am with the weather forecast showing there to be a 10% chance of rain with partially cloudy skies. It is 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Today is Friday August 11, 2023. Boss is in the kitchen making pancakes. Would you like me to inform him that you are awake?”   
  


“Sure, FRIDAY. Um... just uh, tell him I’ll be out in a few minutes.”   
  


“Of course, Harley.” She said. I rubbed my hand against my face and went to my closet. I threw on some of my light blue skinny jeans and a plain white T-Shirt with a jean jacket. I went to my bathroom, and fixed my hair so it didn’t just look like I rolled out of bed.   
  


I smiled as I could smell the pancakes all the way from the hallway.   
  


“Hey, Tony!” I greeted him.   
  


“Good morning, Harley. A little birdie told me you stayed up on the roof for about an hour last night. Any reason?” He smirked at me as he placed pancakes in front of me. I rolled my eyes.

“Spider-Man wanted to see me last night.” I put on a proud grin as he just laughed. “What?”   
  


“He is just as smitten with you as you are with him, huh?” He snickered.

“No. We are just becoming friends. Anyways, he is in to girls.” I said, trying not to show my disappointment. It’s not like we could actually go out anyways. I don’t even know his name. Hell, I’ve never even seen his face before.

Tony frowned, “He told you this?”   
  


“Well, he said he used to have a girlfriend... before he ruined her life because he put her father in jail.”   
  


“Ah, yes I remember.” He said, “That was his first big bad he took down.” He smiled as if he was a proud dad. “I took his suit away and he still went after the dude.” I gave him an unapproving look. 

“He hacked into the suit to lie to me about following the dude, okay? What was I supposed to do? He was being a reckless teenager.” He defended himself. I hummed in agreement as I finished my pancakes.   
  


“I gotta get to school.” His mouth opened at that but I beat him to it, “I’m taking the subway like a normal teenager.” I got up off the stool and he called out after me.

“Hey, don’t forget to be at the lake house by Six for Peter’s birthday party!” I turned to glare at him. ”Oh come on! If you got to know him, I think you guys would get along great.” I scoffed at that and proceeded to look back at Tony. He smiled with hope sparkling in his eyes.   
  


“Sure, fine. I will be here.”   
  


“Good. Because some of the Avengers are coming.” My eyes widened at that. And then I smiled. 

“Is Spider-Man coming?” I asked nonchalantly. Tony clicked his tongue.

“No. He’s uh... gonna be busy.” He pursed his lips. I tilted my head at him and he wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. _Weird_.

“Okay... well uh, I got to get going. See you later, Tony.”   
  


  
—————

I walked up to my locker and got my physics book out and started walking to class. I walked through the door to see Peter getting in a heated argument with Betty about some type of science thing. He looked so frustrated as he tried to explain why she was wrong and I just smiled. The way he kept rambling, it was... cute. _Wait, what?_

I mean... yeah, Peter was cute. He had those dumb, doe chocolate eyes. And that stupid floppy brown hair. And those lips that look... _super familiar._  
  
I mean, I do have eyes. I might not like him, but I can’t deny he is _hot_. I shook my head, pulling myself out of my trance and went to my desk. And I _totally_ didn’t check out his ass as I walked by him.  
  


“Hey, sorry I wasn’t able to give you your birthday present yesterday, but uh, here you go.” MJ said with a little bit of emotion as she handed Peter a little box. She got closer to him and whispered something in his ear which he smiled and then proceeded to nod.   
  


“Thanks, MJ. Uh, you are coming tonight, right?” Peter asked and she nodded and then proceeded to walk away awkwardly. The bell rang and finally I was able to focus on school and not Peter. Although, I don’t understand why I was focused on the idiot in the first place.   
  


Finally, lunch came around and I saw Flash motioning for me to come over. I took a deep breath in as all I could do was feel nothing but contempt for the guy. I mean, if Spider-Man of all people thought the dude was a douche, he probably was. I made my way over, putting on a fake smile as I sat down. I glanced over to Peter’s table where the three nerds were and they were all smiling and Peter’s eyes sparkled with joy which made me feel... weird. I looked back at the jocks in front of me.   
  


“So, Harls, I was gonna just have a party tonight with the guys and we were thinking you should come.” Flash smiled.   
  


“Oh... I- I have plans tonight.” I shot him down, probably a little too fast. “Sorry, Eugene.” I smirked and the guys all looked down at the table refusing to make eye contact with the guy who just called Flash by his first name. Flash just nervously laughed.

“Oh, well uh, okay. So... what are you— what you got planned?” Flash stuttered.

“Peter has a birthday party.” I said, honestly. _Let’s see how much of a douche he really is._

Flash scoffed, “Penis Parker? Really? That dickwad? Did he pay you to go to his pathetic party?” He chuckled along with the rest of his minions. For some reason that made my blood boil.  
  


“Yeah, well, Tony practically begged me to come to the party he is throwing for him. And you know, Peter seems pretty cool so why not?” I said and everyone’s eyes widened. Including Flash’s.

“Um... Tony?” Flash’s voice cracked.

“Yeah. You know, Tony Stark? I live with the dude since he dragged my ass from Tennessee to finish high school here. I helped him fix his suit several years ago when he broke into my garage. Anyways, Tony is like, really close to Peter, who is in fact, his personal intern.” Flash looked as if his jaw was about to detach from his face.   
  
I couldn’t help but smirk.

He visibly gulped, “You... you are playing with me.” He looked like he was about to pass out right there. I sighed as I took out my phone and showed him a picture of Tony and I in the workshop. He let out an embarrassing squeaky noise. 

“Yeah.” I nodded. I stole another glance of Peter whose face went pale as he was staring at our table. I looked at him confused as he made eye contact and just as quickly looked away. He couldn’t have heard the conversation, since he was all the way on the other side of the cafeteria, so why did he look like he was super embarrassed? 

“Well, I uh, hope you have a uh, g-great time.” Flash stuttered. I gave him a wink before I got up and left. 

As much as I kept trying to convince myself that I just did that because I hate bullies, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about how Spider-Man just downplayed how much of a rich snob Flash was. It didn’t sit right with me. But for some reason I felt good for defending the guy I had grown to hate. I guess it was because I knew what it was like to be bullied. But I couldn’t help but feel like it was something _more_ than that.   
  


After school, I made my way to Delmar’s because, well, they _are_ the best sandwiches in Queens. I walked in the store/deli and found Peter walking up to the counter. 

“Hey! Peter! Your regular?” Mr. Delmar smiled at Peter who went over to pet the cat.  
  


“Yep, number 5 with pickles and smush it down real flat.” I smiled at the irony of that being the exact order of Spider-Man.   
  


“How’s your aunt?” Mr. Delmar smirked and Peter shook his head.   
  


“You should know by now not to ask that question.” Peter warned and Mr. Delmar just laughed. Peter turned to look around at the store before his eyes landed on me. Damn, I had never seen someone’s face go from pale to tomato red so fast.   
  


“Uh, h-hey! Harley!” He nervously chuckled. “Uh... w-what are you doing here?”

“Getting a good sandwich.” I smirked at him and he just rubbed the back of his neck. Mr. Delmar pursed his lips before he handed Peter his bag.   
  


Peter nodded and smiled softly at me. “Cool, cool.” He bit his lip and started to walk out. I heard the bells above the door clink together and I let out the breath I did not realize I was holding. And suddenly, I felt this urge to go after him.   
  


“I’ll be right back.” I told Mr. Delmar as I walked back out the door. I spotted Peter about to cross the street.   
  


“Hey, Peter!” He turned around and scrunched up his eyebrows. I jogged to catch up to him, still having no idea what I was going to say. “Um... Happy Birthday. I mean, I know yesterday was your birthday but uh, I never got the chance to say it.” I gave him a genuine smile. He looked confused but said thanks nonetheless. I nodded and swallowed, although my mouth was super dry. “Um... I’ll see you tonight.” I nodded again before I turned around, walking back to the door, mentally cursing myself.   
  


_What the hell was happening to me?_

—————— 

I decided to call Happy to come pick me up from the deli, since there was no way in hell I was walking all the way to the lake house. I mean, yeah I would be like an hour early, but I had nothing better to do.   
  
  


“Thanks, Happy.” I smiled as I got in the car.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” Happy unenthusiastically said. “I thought you didn’t even like Peter. Why are you going to his party?”   
  


I shrugged, “Tony wants me to.”   
  


He stared at me for a few seconds through the rear view mirror and then just sighed.

  
  
——————

**Peter’s POV**

I sighed as I made my way up to the lake house. I didn’t know who all was going to be there, but I knew MJ, Ned, Harley, and Wanda were coming, and that was enough. Although, there were many more cars outside than I expected.

I took in a deep breath and turned the knob of the door. I took a step inside and heard people chattering in the living area. I made my way in and took a good look around. There were my friends, Mr. Stark, Steve, Clint, and Nat. They all yelled Happy Birthday as they noticed me come into the room. I shyly waved as Nat came up to pull me into a hug.

“How have you been, ребенок паук?” She asked as she smiled.

“I’ve been good.” I mirrored her smile. I saw in my peripheral Ned and MJ exchange looks of confusion.   
  
  


“Hey, Clint.” I waved and he lifted up his beer at me with a smile. Before I had time to greet Steve, he was already up and hugging me.   
  


“Hey, Queens.” He said and I smiled.   
  


“Brooklyn.” I bowed my head and he ruffled my hair. After I caught up with everyone, Harley came into the room with a Morgan on his hip. He gave me a soft smile before putting Morgan down so she could run up to me.   
  


“Oh! You are the best present I could have wished for!” I picked her up and spun her around as she giggled. She pushed her hair out of her face as she went to Clint to sit in his lap.   
  


I looked over to Harley who was still looking at me, but he ducked his eyes down to the ground and brought them back up to Mr. Stark. He went up to Mr. Stark and started chatting and I went up to my friends. I walked up to Ned and we did our handshake which MJ just mumbled ‘losers’ under her breath. I then proceeded to pull MJ into a hug and whispered to her.   
  
  


“I loved the gift, thank you.” She told me specifically not to open it at school and I found out why later. She made a intricate drawing of me surrounded by spiderwebs.   
  


“Yeah, it was supposed to be a bit dark so...”

“Well, I love it.” I smiled at her which she returned back.   
  


The doorbell rung and Mr. Stark ran to answer it. I sat down on the sofa and smiled. I felt such joy looking around and seeing all my friends gathered together celebrating me. _Me_.

“Pizza!” Mr. Stark called out and held out three pizza boxes. 

  
“Yes!” I jumped up and heard Clint and Steve snicker behind me. I gave them a glare before turning back to open one of the boxes still in Mr. Stark’s hands. I took a slice and turned back to see MJ, Ned, and even Harley smirking at me.   
  
Mr. Stark put down the pizzas on the coffee table right next to Steve’s hammer.

He scoffed, “Did you really have to bring that?” Steve looked up at him, knitting his eyebrows.

“You know, the last time I came to a party of yours, killer robots attacked us, right?” Steve raised his eyebrows and Mr. Stark nodded.

“Okay. That’s fair.” Mr. Stark said.   
  


“Can I try?” Harley blurted out. Steve smiled and proceeded to nod. Harley grinned as he walked up to it and tugged at the handle. MJ started laughing, like a genuine laugh that I have only heard on occasion. Harley sneered, “What? Why don’t you try?”   
  


MJ smirked, “I don’t need that question to be answered. Ned? How about you?” Need rubbed his hands together as he made his way over. He put both hands on it and pulled, but the thing didn’t even move a centimeter. Ned looked at me but I just shook my head.

“Oh, come on! The birthday boy should try it!” Wanda smirked at me and I rolled my eyes. I sighed as I walked up to it, knowing fully well how ridiculous this was. 

  
As soon as I pulled on it, it was lifted with ease. Wait, what? I looked at it in my hands, up in the air as I held it. I was holding the fucking Mjolnir.   
  


I looked over to everyone who was staring at me with shock, and their jaws looked like they would fall to the ground at any moment. I quickly put it down and ran a hand through my hair. I looked at Harley who just had wide eyes and pursed lips as he was just looking at where I sat down the hammer.

“I guess I’m not the only one worthy.” Steve patted me on the back as I was freaking myself out. I looked over to Mr. Stark who was just staring at me, surprised.

“So, uh, who- who wants pizza? I’m famished.” I stuttered out and then took another glance at Harley who was kept sneaking looks my way as he started to eat.   
  


And it was weird how my stomach felt like it would a backflip each time he looked my way. Anyways, he was probably just being nice for my birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it must have been a little cringy the Flash and Harley conversation, but I feel like it is good to put Flash in his place... well for the time being. Also, I know it’s not entirely accrue that Peter is worthy, but I felt like it so yeah. It makes Harley ask more questions to himself. Also, Peter Parker’s actual birthday is on the 10th of August so yeah. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

**Harley’s POV**

I opened up my laptop with a huge smile on my face. This was going to be my first time seeing my sister since the move 2 weeks ago. I mean, yeah, I have texted her every so often but I couldn’t wait to see her face. I opened up Skype and waited for her to call.   
  


Within a few minutes, it started ringing. I clicked it as soon as it started ringing. My screen showed my beautiful sister with her brown flowing hair falling down her shoulders and her big hazel eyes. She probably had an even bigger grin than me if it was possible.   
  


“Hey!” She excitingly exclaimed.  
  


“Hi! Oh my gosh, it’s so good to see you!” I happily sighed and Abby blew me a kiss. I giggled at that. “H-how’s college?” I asked Abby and she smiled.   
  


“It is great! My roommate and I get along pretty well and I think I have even made a few friends.” She said proudly.

“That’s great!”   
  


“Yeah. How about you? How’s school? How is that intern you hate so much?”   
  


“Uh, school’s good. Um, he isn’t really that bad.” I confessed. “I guess I was just... jealous? I mean, he is _really_ smart. And I don’t really know how Tony found a guy from Queens just based on his intelligence.” I clicked my tongue. I heard her keyboard starting to click and clack.

“Uh, what are you doing?” I asked her and she smirked.   
  


“Ooo. Peter Parker. Damn, bro he is _hot_. Like in a really cute way.” She said, probably looking at a picture of him from one of his social media platforms. I rolled my eyes.

“Did you seriously just look him up?” I raised my eyebrows.  
  


“No wonder why you have changed your mind.” She smirked at me and I gave her a glare.   
  


“He’s not _that_ good looking.” I lied... Mostly to myself.

  
“Um... really?” 

“So, college. How challenging are your classes?” I tried to change the subject.   
  


After about what felt like an hour, she had to say her goodbyes and get ready for one of her classes. I told her that we should talk every Saturday because I would love to hear all the juicy college gossip. 

  
  
I smiled as I signed off and decided to go find Morgan. Morgan seemed to like me which was really great because I loved spending time with her. Of course, the six year old loved to play with anyone, but she always made me feel welcome here.   
  
  


“Morgan!” I called out before opening her room door. I found Morgan and Wanda on the ground and Wanda was floating some of her toys up in the air. “Hey! Um, I was wondering if I could join?” I asked her with a smile. Morgan giggled softly and then nodded her head. Wanda slowly put the toys to the ground.   
  


“Can we draw?” Morgan asked and I nodded.

“Of course, little one.” Wanda said in her thick accent.   
  


After a few minutes of drawing, I noticed Morgan had only used Red and Blue crayons.   
  


“Watcha drawing?” I asked her and she smiled.

“Spider-Man.” She said and Wanda just smiled.   
  


“Is that your favorite hero?” I asked her. She nodded.

“After my daddy, he is cool.” She said.   
  
“Cool. He’s mine too.” I continued to draw my picture.   
  


“What are you drawing?” She asked.   
  


“Um, isn’t it obvious? It’s me and you!” I gave her a grin and she returned it. I looked over to Wanda’s. She seemed to be drawing a sunset and it looked really good. “You are really good at that.” I complimented her.

“It’s nothing, really. I have been drawing since I was little, and I guess it’s okay.” She downplayed how good she was. I playfully rolled my eyes.   
  


“Hey guys, lunch is ready!” Pepper poked her head in the door. I got up and held my hand out to help Morgan up. We went over to the kitchen and ate. Wanda then requested we watch a movie. We decided on Toy Story and watched all four of them. I looked at my watch to see it was six already. I jumped off the couch, careful not to wake up a sleeping Morgan cuddled against Wanda.   
  


“Where are you going?” Wanda asked me. I could feel my cheeks getting red as I couldn’t hold back a smile.   
  


“Um... I’m going to the roof to uh, see someone?” I looked at her for a second as she just smirked knowingly. I turned to the elevator so I could go up to the roof.   
  


I opened the door to the roof and placed my feet on the pebbles and breathed in the fresh New York Air. I found Spidey looking at sun that was setting with his feet dangling off the ledge. He had a coffee in his hands and his mask halfway up. I made my way over to him, going as quiet as I could since he didn’t seem to notice my presence. I quietly made my way behind him, about to try to scare him.   
  


“I know you are there.” He said, and I could practically feel his smirk. I dropped my head in defeat as I came to sit next to him.   
  


“So close!” I mumbled.

“Nope, not even close. I could hear you before you even opened the roof door.” He pursed his lips. I looked at him with disbelief. He clicked his tongue, “Enhanced senses.”   
  


“Cool.” I nodded. He took a sip of his drink. “So... you were right.”   
  


He looked at me and tilted his head. “About What?”

“Um... Flash. He _is_ a massive douche. I guess I never really noticed, but then when I brought Peter into the conversation, he was such a dick. I don’t get along with Peter that well, but I really hope I didn’t seem like that when I first got here.” I shrugged, “I really hope he doesn’t hate me. I want to apologize, but...”

“But what?”

“I’m afraid he won’t forgive me. I was so cold and just plain out rude for no reason. Well, I _was_ jealous.”

“He will accept it.” He smiled. 

“How do you know?” I asked and he took in a deep breath.   
  


“Uh, he’s a uh, um, a really good forgiving... guy.” He winced at how poorly he structured that sentence. I chuckled.   
  


“Well, that’s good to know. To be honest, it would be nice to have some friends. At the moment, his friends aren’t very fond of me.” I told him truthfully.   
  


“Well, if for some reason he doesn’t forgive you, I’ll be your friend.” He smiled.   
  


“Don’t you have enough on your plate? I shouldn’t be laying all this on you, huh?” I gave him a laugh.   
  


“Well it’s in the name. _Friendly_ neighborhood Spider-Man. And... I would like to be.” He gave me a cheeky grin and stood up. “Um, I gotta go. I will be here tomorrow, same time. If that’s okay with you?” He asked and I nodded.

He gave me one last smirk as he pulled his mask back down and swung away. I got up and made my way back downstairs to the penthouse.   
  


I smiled to myself as I made my way into the kitchen, pulling out some of my Chinese leftovers from earlier. My mind wandered to Peter. I then chuckled at how stupid it was that I was jealous of him. Clumsy, awkward, Peter Parker. With his stupid adorable smile and his big chocolate colored eyes.   
  
I found it ridiculous that I was so jealous of him for having the perfect life. I mean, I didn’t know that his uncle died at first. And he lives with his Aunt so his parents must have jobs that require them to move a lot and stuff or something. He gets bullied by a rich snob that wants nothing but to make his life a living hell. 

And then I came around and was as cold as I could be to him. I wouldn’t blame him for hating me.  
I barely know the dude, but I want to get to know more about him. It’s just something about him... it makes me so curious.   
  


“Hey, FRIDAY?”   
  


“Yes, Harley?”   
  


“Where does Peter live?” I asked, curious.   
  


“He lives in 2374 Apartment building 3a 15th Street, Queens, New York City, New York.” FRIDAY answered.

“Oh. Ok thanks.” I wrote that down on a napkin and was about to make my way to the elevator when I saw Tony leaning against one of the walls of the kitchen, staring at me.

“And why exactly are you going to see Peter?” Tony asked like if he was a protective parent over Peter.   
  


“I wanna apologize for being a dick.” I answered honestly. He raised an eyebrow at that but then shrugged. 

“Just be home by 10.” 

  
“You got it.” I mock saluted him and got in the elevator. “Lobby, FRIDAY.”   
  


I got on the subway and luckily it wasn’t that long a ride. After about 20 minutes, I got off and made my way to his apartment. I took in a deep breath and knocked on the door. A beautiful woman who couldn’t be older than 40 opened the door with a smile.   
  


“Hello. Um, I’m looking for Peter?” She smiled and then proceeded to call Peter’s name.   
  


“Come on in.” She motioned for me to come in. It was a small apartment, but cute and had a very homey feel to it. Peter came out with a white tank top that showed off his defined muscles... even the ones under the shirt. His eyes widened when he saw me and then gave me a shy wave, clearly confused of why I was here.   
  


“Hey, Harley?” He gave me a small smile and looked down at his feet awkwardly.   
  


“Um, can I talk to you?” I said softly. He looked up at me and hesitantly nodded.   
  


He motioned for me to follow him to his room and I gave his aunt one more smile before following him. He shut the door behind me and looked at me confused.

“How do you know where I live?” He asked with a little bit of anger in his voice.   
  


“I uh- asked FRIDAY.” I bit my lip, “Um, I don’t really know how to say this so I’m just gonna day it. I’m sorry for being such a dick. I- it wasn’t fair to you that I was so horrible. I hope you can forgive me.” I said and took in a deep breath.   
  


He smiled softly, “Well, I accept your apology. Thank you.” I put on a big grin and nodded more to myself than him.   
  


“Good. Um... yeah! Okay.” I smiled sheepishly. “Sorry if I’m acting awkward. I don’t really apologize to people. Um...” I mentally cursed myself for saying that but he just continued to smile at me.   
  


“Would you like to stay for dinner? My aunt is making meatloaf.” He offered. I scrunched up my nose.

“With how much you complain about her food? I’m good.” I joked and caused him to giggle. I looked around the room and stopped at a picture on his night stand of a beautiful woman and a man with a little kid in front of them. I smiled at the lovely picture and I picked it up. “Is this you?”   
  


He looked at what I picked up and sucked in a deep breath. He shakily nodded his head and then smiled at the picture. “Yeah it’s uh, me and my mom and dad.”   
  


“Cool. What do they do for a living?” I asked and he frowned with watery eyes. _Oh, fuck._

“Um... they were uh, my dad was a scientist. Well, biologist. They uh, died in a plane crash when I was six. That’s all Ben would ever tell me about them. Ben and May wouldn’t talk about them a lot.” He let a tear fall down his face and he wiped at it ferociously. “I remember them, though.” Peter nodded with a frown.   
  
  


“I’m sorry. I should have known.” I gave him a sympathetic look. He glanced back at the picture once more before he bit his lip and smiled, removing any sign that he was ever talking about his dead parents and uncle. It was kinda scary how he could do that. How he could hide how he was really feeling away from the world. It broke my heart to see that part of the happy, perfect Peter Parker.   
  


I guess he wasn’t so perfect. And I was just an asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harley is so oblivious. But, he’s trying to be better. I hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated! ;)


	9. Chapter 9

  
**Peter’s POV**

After Harley left, I couldn’t stop smiling, even as I stuffed the barely edible meatloaf into my mouth.   
  


“So... that was Harley?” May smirked, “He is _Cute_!” I rolled my eyes at that. “And he didn’t seem to hate you as much as you said he did.”   
  


“Well, that’s because he came to apologize for being such an asshole.” I scoffed, “He is also 17, so calm yourself.” I chuckled and before I knew it, I could feel a blush creeping up my cheeks.   
  
  


“Does he know?” She asked me and shook my head immediately.

“No, and he is not going to.” I explained. “I’d rather his opinions of me not change just because I’m _portrayed_ as a hero on the news.”

“But you _are_ a hero, Pete.” She gave me a warm smile.   
  


“How can you be so sure?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Because I know you. With or without that suit, Peter Parker is a hero.” I gave her a weak grin as I got up and took my plate to the sink.   
  


“So... I have another night shift Monday night so I want to make sure that you are not doing any spidey shenanigans too late. You better have your ass in that bed by 12:00. I do check in with Tony now and then.” She warned.   
  


I frowned, “Since when do you call Mr. Stark, Tony?”   
  


She shrugged, “I probably check in with him more than every now and then.”   
  


I let out a huff and crossed my arms, “I don’t need a babysitter!” 

“Hmm. Yeah sure.” She said sarcastically, getting up to put her dishes in the sink. She put a hand on my shoulder and looked directly into my eyes. “I know how you are. You will act like everything is fine because you don’t want to bother anyone. We see right through you, Pete. Tony does too.” She patted my shoulder as she made her way to her room, “Night! Get some sleep!”   
  


“Night!” I called back. I walked into my room and looked at the bed for a long minute. I sighed as I got into it and pulled the covers up to my chest. I closed my eyes and opened them up immediately. It was almost as if I felt the pain before I even closed them. I took in a deep breath, trying to calm by heart rate. _When was the last time I actually went to sleep?_

I believe it was three days ago? But even then, I woke up in a sweat not even four hours into my sleep. I took my phone off the nightstand and went through my latest texts. I stopped at MJ, contemplating whether or not to call her. I looked at my digital clock and it showed 9:42. I hesitantly presses the call button and listened to the annoying ringing against my ear. 

“What’s up, loser?” I heard and I smiled.   
  


“Can’t sleep.” I answered honestly, “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“I don’t go to bed until at least 12.” She pauses for a moment, “You sound tired. When was the last time you went to sleep?” She asked, clearly worried.

“Um... I’m fine.” I tried to steer away from actually telling her.

“Peter...” she warned. 

“Maybe three days. I mean, if we are talking an actual good night’s sleep...” _Before Thanos._ “I don’t remember.” I lied.

“Peter! You have to sleep!” She demanded.

“I can’t! I’ve tried, but I just... I can’t.” My voice broke. I could MJ sigh on the other end.

“Oh, Peter... maybe talking about it to someone can help.”

“Oh, yeah. Like I could go to a therapist and be like, yeah, you see I’m Spider-Man, good to meet you and I fought Thanos and I keep having nightmares about me blipping.” I snapped and then fell silent.

“I didn’t know you fought Thanos.” She whispered. “Does your aunt know?”   
  


“She knows I fought the aliens on earth with Mr. Stark. And she knows I fought him with everyone else when I got back. She doesn’t know I went to space.” I scoffed, “She would flip if she knew that I was blipped in space and then found myself alone five years later with an alien with antennas and a wizard who can make portals with a wave of his hands.”   
  


“Well, I’m here if you need someone to talk to. I mean, I’m no professional and probably won’t understand half of what you are talking about, but I could listen.” She offered.

“Thanks, MJ.” I smiled. “Um... do you think you could stay on the line as I try to fall asleep?” I asked, feeling pathetic as I did.

“Of course, Peter.” She said in a soft voice.   
  


“Thank you.” I whispered as I put the phone down and placed my head on the pillow and slowly closed my eyes, pleasantly surprised that I didn’t feel anything but tiredness as I slipped into a deep sleep.   
  
It was by far the best sleep I had since the blip.   
  


  
——————

Monday rolled around and I found myself at the front of the school ready to walk through the doors. I hadn’t seen Harley since he came to my apartment so I didn’t know what to expect if I saw him.   
  


I walked into first period and sat down next to MJ which was right behind Harley, who was partners with Betty.   
  


“Well, how did you sleep yesterday night? I mean, within 15 minutes of dead silence over the phone, I finally heard snoring.” MJ gave me a genuine smile. I chuckled a little.   
  


“Yeah. Thank you, again. I’m sorry if I ruined your Saturday night.” I joked but she gave me a glare.

“Peter, stop it. You needed to sleep. Especially after everything that happened...” I stepped on her toe to shush her as I saw Harley’s head turn a little to the side, probably listening. She gave me a small nod and gave me another soft smile. “Anyways, if you need my help again, just call.” She said in a lower voice. I thanked her and glanced at Harley who gave me a small smile. I saw in the corner of my eye, MJ smirked.  
  


“Hey, Betty. I was wondering if you wanted to be my partner today.” MJ said, her voice unwavering.   
  
“Um, why?” Betty asked with a raised eyebrow.   
  


“It’s just, you know... Harley is no good at physics and Peter is like stupid good at that stuff. I doubt you would want Harley affecting your grades when it’s not his fault that he comes from the country where their sole focus is on how to milk cows and harvest corn. No offence, Harley.” MJ gave him a sympathetic smile. He just crossed his arms and opened his mouth, but then looked at me and proceeded to go along with it.

“Thanks, Betty for doing this. I just need as much help as I can get because all I really know how to do is feed the chickens.” He let his accent get thicker. I rolled my eyes as I switched places with Betty and sat down on the stool next to Harley.   
  


“Have you ever thought about acting?” I smirked and he nodded.

“Oh yeah, but it was more of a fantasy cause I was too busy making goat cheese.” He joked and then proceeded to put on the biggest grin I have ever seen from him. 

“Ha ha.” I playfully shook my head slightly. I faced the teacher as he started to give his lecture on something about linear acceleration but I wasn’t really listening as I was thinking of how to improve my webbing solution.   
  


“Peter? Are you with us?” I snapped out of my trance and looked at the board.

“Uh, yeah. Um, mass cancels out so it’s just gravity times sine.” I explained.   
  


“Right. See Flash, being the fastest isn’t always the best when you are wrong.” The teacher said and Flash looked back and gave me a death glare but then glanced at Harley and turned back. I looked over at Harley who was just smiling at me.   
  


“What?” I squeaked out.

“You answered that without even paying any attention. How did you even know what we were talking about?” He whispered. I shrugged and pointed to the board. He playfully scoffed and looked back to the teacher.   
  


I looked over to the clock. _Five more minutes._

  
After a very long half of a day, I found myself sitting next to Ned and MJ a couple of seats down from me. 

“It was so crazy how you lifted that hammer! Like did you see the look on Captain America’s face?!” Ned was yelling in a hushed voice, something he has become really good at since he found out Spider-Man’s identity. 

“It wasn’t _that_ crazy.” I rolled my eyes at his over exaggerating.   
  
“Mmm. I don’t know. It was _pretty_ crazy.” I looked up to see Harley was sitting down right across from me. He smiled at me. I dipped my head down to stare at my food as I felt a blush crept up my face.

“Hey.” I said after I regained my composure. I glanced across the room to see Flash staring me down so I looked back at Harley who was still smiling at me. 

“I hope it’s okay that I sit with you guys. I didn’t really like Flash and his goons that much.” He said smugly and then turned to MJ.

“Not interested.” MJ said, putting her face back in her book.

“Same, Darlin. Just tryin to make friends.” He said and took a glance my way before looking back at her. She put down her book and smirked.

“You can call me MJ.” He put on this big dopey grin when she said that. It was cute.   
  


“Okay, MJ.” He smiled. ”So what are you guys doing after school?”   
  


“I’ve uh, gotta go to the compound.” I replied and he nodded. The bell rung, initiating that lunch was over. 

“Well then, I will see you there. After we get a bite from Delmar’s, right?” He asked and I just nodded. “Good. I’ll meet you at the back of the school.” He got up and left.

“Well, isn’t he one for self confidence?” MJ scoffed.   
  


“Yeah, he’s the same way with Spider-Man.” I commented.   
  


Luckily Spider-Man didn’t have to see him today after school.

  
——————

I leaned against the building, waiting for Harley to make an appearance. I pulled up the Daily Bugle news app on my phone.

  
THE MASKED MENACE TO BLAME FOR THE DAMAGE IN CENTRAL PARK

I scoffed at the lame ass title but scrolled down more and realized Jameson made some good points.   
  


I heard the door open and called out to him, “You ready?” His head snapped at me and he looked confused. “What?”   
  


“Nothing, it’s just... you sound a lot like someone I know.” I choked on the air I was breathing in and he looked at me funny. “You okay?” I nodded my head and started to walk up to him. “So um... I was thinking... I don’t really know my way around New York and since you have lived here like your whole life, maybe you could show me around, say this weekend?” He asked me as I just smiled.

“Yeah. I would like that.” 

“Cool.” He pointed to the subway station, “Are we going?”   
  


“After you.” I curtsied and he chuckled. 

“Wow. Such a gentleman.” He threw me a cocky smile.   
  


After we got our sandwiches, we found Happy right outside the deli.   
  


“Aww. I wanted to take the subway!” I laughed at his confession. “What?”

“I just don’t think I have ever heard someone who willingly would want to take the subway.” I giggled and he frowned.   
  


“Well, I’m different.” He stuck out his tongue as I went to the other side to get in the car. As I sat down I took out my phone again and realized I still had the Article opened. Harley clucked his tongue. “You know, he doesn’t even blame you for hating him. I think he beats himself up enough about what happened.” He gave me a sympathetic look. I knew exactly what he was talking about and I turned off my phone  
  


“I don’t hate him. I despise Jameson more than I do Spider-Man, trust me.” I joked and he gave me a soft chuckle.

“That dude is an ass.” He smirked. I glanced up at Happy who just looked super confused. 

  
As we pulled up to the compound, we made our way to the workshop. I opened the door for Harley who waltzed right in and waved to Mr. Stark before he made his way over to my station.   
  


“Uh, what are you doing?” I asked, I found in the corner of my eye Mr. Stark was just as confused.   
  


“I’m done with all my projects. And for the past week you have been stuck on the webshooters of all things in the new suit.” He said. I crossed my arms and acted super offended. Maybe a little of it was not acting.   
  


“Yes, because without the webshooters being borderline perfect I- he could risk a malfunction with them and fall to his death. Trust me. He was doing _all_ of this before he was even given the suit and he did it in a red hoodie and blue leggings with his own stuff. He knows just as well as me that without those web shooters being in the best condition, he will go splat.” I pursed my lips and Mr. Stark chuckled. I turned to him and gave him a glare.   
  
“Do you have something you would like to say?” I asked him with just a hint of cockiness.

“Oh, nothing. Just that I remember that Spider-Man was very grateful for that suit that _I_ made for him.” Mr. Stark shrugged.

“Hmmm. Yes, indeed he was. But now, he is making a better one. Um, with my help of course.” I said, trying to keep from bursting my secret out into the open.   
  


“Yes he is. And the only way to make it truly perfect is to have one of the best mechanics I know work on it with you.” I looked over at Harley, who had these bid brown puppy dog eyes out. I thought about before a second before I reluctantly nodded. 

“Yes!” Harley enthusiastically said.

“I guess it could be fun.” I admitted and he beamed. I pulled up the hologram of the suit I had been working on. He stared in amazement at it.   
  


“You made this?” He said looking at me like I had just made an iron man suit.   
  


“Yeah. I mean, the fabricators does most of the work. I just pick out the material, the design, and I make the gadgets. It’s nothing that big.” He still was staring at me in amazement, “You know, it’s nothing like the stuff you made in your garage. I have infinite resources that help me.” I tried downplaying the work I do so he could stop looking at me like that.   
  


“Well, it’s still pretty cool.” Harley gave me a smile. “How did you start working on the suit?” He asked me.   
  


“Um... I uh, just saw Mr. Stark having problems with the suit and I showed him that he wasn’t looking at it from a physics perspective. And uh, yeah.” I stammered. I could practically feel Mr. Stark smirking behind me.

  
“Cool.” Harley said.   
  


We continued to work and work and before I knew it, it was around ten.   
  


“Oh, crap! I uh, need to get going!” I looked at the clock and started to pack up my stuff.   
  


“Nope. You can spend the night. May would kill me if I let you walk through Queens this late at night.” Mr. Stark said, “We got a guest bedroom right next to Harley’s room all set up. FRIDAY, message May and tell her that Pete is staying here tonight.” He looked back at me with a glare that said ‘you are going to sleep. Not patrol.’   
  


“But—”

  
“No buts, Kid. It’s settled. You are staying here.” Mr. Stark commanded.

“Fine.” I sighed in defeat.   
  


“Good. Now, I think we have gotten plenty of work done. So uh, yeah.” Mr. Stark said, and told FRIDAY to lock the doors as we left. He patted me on the back and looked at me worried, “You okay? You seem... tired.”   
  


“Yeah. I’m fine just uh, sleepy.” I said. It was the truth. But, I probably wouldn’t be going to sleep tonight.   
  


“Okay. Well go get some rest.” Mr. Stark gave me a smile and went the opposite way to his bedroom. I walked next to Harley as we went to our separate rooms.   
  


“Um, night.” He said awkwardly as he opened his door.   
  


“Night.” I smiled and walked into the guest room.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, it was as if I had no control over closing my eyes and drifting into a deep sleep. God knows I needed it though.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! As you can see, Harley is beginning to become friends with Peter. Pretty rapidly, because I mean, it’s Peter Parker. 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated! ;)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished my first week of school so I’m sorry I have not been updating. Although updates may be slower. I’m sorry it’s just my junior year is much more hectic than I thought it would be. Please don’t hate me!

**Harley’s POV**

The week went by so slowly. I felt like the only thing that kept me going throughout the week was my meetings with Spidey and at the end of the week, Peter was going to show me around New York. I know it was pathetic, but I couldn’t help but get excited.   
  


I mean, yeah, I’ve seen New York. I’ve seen the buildings from the car and everything, but I haven’t _experienced_ it.   
  


Luckily, throughout the week, Peter was kind enough to let me have lunch with him and his friends. Even though they were a bunch of nerds, they were still pretty cool. MJ might seem to be a sarcastic bitch, but she seems to be caring and stuff. She is also a pretty cool artist. Ned is probably the biggest nerd I have ever met, but he is also a very loyal friend to Peter.  
  


I didn’t have many friends back at home. Mostly because nobody wanted to be friends with the only openly gay guy at school. And in the city...

Luckily, my mom and sister were supportive. And that’s all I needed. But here, I could be anyone I wanted to be or be with anyone I wanted and most people were okay with it.   
  


Peter said he would be at the compound by 12:00 and it was almost 11:30, so I decided to go down to the workshop and work out a few things on the suit. Nobody was in there and then I remembered Tony was in a meeting with Pepper while Wanda babysat Morgan.   
  


I walked in there and went over to Peter’s corner.

“FRIDAY, open up the Spider folder.” I asked and the huge hologram popped up above the table. I clicked on the folder to find not only they suit Spidey wears now and the nano tech one and the one we were working on, but a bunch of other ones under Peter’s name.   
  


I decided to give them a look. I opened up the one titled: London #2  
  


I frowned as I opened it up and read that it wasn’t made here, but on a Stark plane in London 3 months ago. _Why the hell was Peter working on a suit and tossed it out in London?  
  
_

It looked pretty badass, even with it only halfway done. It gave me an option to listen to the recording, so I clicked it. Right after I clicked it, a red banner with the word classified written over it and an option to put in a password at the bottom. I frowned. _Why would a recording of Peter making a suit be confidential?_

I heard the door open and if on instinct, I closed everything. I looked up to see Peter standing there, with a charming smile.   
  


“Hey.” He smiled, tilting his head as he looked at the table that was empty with nothing opened up.   
  


“Hey! Uh, a-are you ready?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t pressure me into telling him that I was snooping around his stuff.   
  


“Yep.” He mischievously smirked as he pulled out a card, “I stole one of Mr. Stark’s credit cards.”   
  


I stared at him with shock. Who knew that Perfect Peter Parker would be capable of something so... sneaky.   
  


“How did you even get ahold of that?” I chuckled.

  
“I have my ways.” He gave me a cocky wink and I just rolled my eyes. I followed him out as we made our way out of the compound and on our tour of the most famous city in America.

He insisted that since it was the closest, that we should go to the Empire State Building so I can see the view. And yeah, it was pretty awesome. We went on to Brooklyn and went to the Brooklyn Bridge which I never understood the hype of it until today. Staring out into that water that was so beautiful.   
  


We then proceeded to The Bronx and Staten Island and he pointed to almost every building we past and insisted on giving me a fun fact about them all.

  
If I didn’t know any better, I would believe he was new to New York with how he looked at everything as if it was his first time seeing it. He was astonished by everything. I have never seen someone so in love with their city as much as him. You could tell he cares not only about the buildings and the beauty of it; he cares about the people. The community. With everyone he saw, he would give a slight smile or nod to show that he acknowledged them. On one of the trains, he became like best friends with this one old lady within 5 minutes. The way he showed he was listening and showed he cared, it made my heart flutter with joy. Most of the people he would say hey to would roll their eyes or give him a look but he still kept on smiling.   
  


We got back on the train and I looked at the time. It was already 5:00. And I was hungry.

“Don’t worry, we are going to get Delmar’s.” He smiled as he noticed me looking at my watch.   
  


When the train stopped, we jumped off and we made our way around the corner to Delmar’s.

“Hey Mr. Delmar.” Peter grabbed a pack of gummies and ordered his food and I ordered mine. Afterwards, he went over to the cat to pet it, and we walked out.   
  


“So... a potato gun, huh?” He snickered as we walked down the sidewalk, making our way to the subway to go to the compound.   
  


“Hey! I was 11, okay?” I defended myself and he just gave me a cocky smile. “So, uh, are we taking the subway back to the compound?” I asked.  
  


“No. I have one other place I want to show you.” He said, with a gleeful smile plastered on his face.

“Where?” I bit my lip, looking at the sun that was slowly making its way down. He smiled sheepishly as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the train.   
  


We walked up to one of the openings to Central Park and I gave him a curious raised eyebrow. He once again took my hand and we walked toward the bridge across the lake.

He closed his eyes as he turned towards the golden orange glow, which illuminated his face, letting the wind blow through his thick, brown curls. I turned towards the setting sun and, it was the most breathtaking view I had all day. The water had an orange reflection to it as it sparkled in the last bit of light.   
  


“It’s... beautiful.” I managed to finally say, breathless. He gave me a nod as he just stared out at the sunset.   
  


“Yeah. It’s by far my favorite place to be in New York. It’s so... amazing but at the same time, ordinary. Nothing to big, just nature.” He explained with a slight smile playing on his lips. Again, those lips... they looked so familiar and I couldn’t pinpoint where I had seen them.   
  


“Thank you.” I said and he turned to me with big eyes as if I had just said the nicest thing I have ever said to him. Which, probably would be. “For showing me around. I... couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide or... or a friend.” I gave him a quick smile before I returned to looking at the water, feeling awkward for just staring into those beautiful gleaming eyes.   
  


“We are friends?” He asked, barely above a whisper. I glanced at him from the side, and returned the smile to my face.

“Yeah. If you are okay with it, I would like to be.” As soon as I said that, he grinned from ear to ear and nodded enthusiastically.

I now had done something I would have never thought I would have ever been doing before a week ago; I was friends with Peter Parker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! I will be trying to update at least every week and if I can, twice in a week. I know this chapter is shorter than you are used to, but I have been very busy going to school and trying not to get COVID and kill my brother who has literally no immune system. Also we are in the process of moving out of my childhood home so yeah.
> 
> Comment and Kudos are appreciated! Same with ideas for the story!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so sorry for being late. But with getting thing out of our old house officially and the two hurricanes headed for us one after the other, it’s been a hectic week. Also, I am writing this instead of doing my homework. Just goes to show how much I love you guys. ;)

**Harley’s POV**

I surprisingly had probably the best weekend of my life over the past couple of days. And I had it with the Perfect Peter Parker. He had something about him, that made me so curious and just wanting to know more about this awkward dork. The Saturday I spent with him was so wonderful and he was nothing like how I perceived him. He _wasn’t_ perfect. But he sure as hell wasn't normal. The way he presented himself, was pretty different than anyone I had known. He seemed to have this daring shimmer in his eyes but as a whole, they were soft and caring. Something else about him was that he was always fidgeting with his sleeves which kind of worried me. He was always careful with keeping his sleeves covering his wrist but he was so full of light. He must just be self conscious about himself or something because he didn’t seem like someone who would hurt themselves. And trust me, I know what that looks like. He also seemed to always be on edge when we weren’t alone and when we were in like a coffee shop or something. It seemed so weird but, I guess he was a little weird. 

But he was fun and really _really_ cool. 

I walked out into the kitchen where I found Tony making eggs. He spotted me and frowned as he looked at the time. 

“It is 5:45am. What are you doing up?” He asked me raising an eyebrow.

“I thought I could take your Coupe out for a drive?” I asked and he looked at me suspiciously, “I am going to pick up Peter.” 

He winked, “I told you that you would like him after you got to know him. You can take one of the Audi’s. You taking the orange or white?” 

“The black.” I said. He frowned at that.

“I have a black one?”

I stepped out of the car and took in a deep breath as I stood before his apartment building door. I glanced at my watch to see it was 6:30am already. I smiled as I opened the door and made my way up to his apartment.   
  


I closed my eyes, having doubts right at his doorstep. Ignoring them, I knocked on the hardwood of the door. I was greeted by a very confused Peter.   
  


“W-What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Oh! Um, I was... in the neighborhood and I thought of picking you up for school.” I said, mentally cursing myself for the lame excuse.

He gave me a cocky smile, “You were in Queens at 6:00am? What are you doing on this side of town this early?” I gave him a glare.

“You are welcome to take the subway.” I pursed my lips as I turned around and started to walk down the hallway.

“Wait! Wait! I’m coming!” I heard and turned to the door to see him shoving a piece of toast in his mouth as he rushed to his room and came out surprisingly fast with his book bag flung onto his back. I laughed as he almost tripped from his untied shoes.

“We aren’t in any rush. You can tie them.” I snickered and he rolled his eyes as he bent down to tie them.

I opened the coupe’s door for him to get in and he gave me a mocking curtsy. I came around to my side and got in.

“How did you get Tony to agree to you driving this thing?” He looked amazed, “also, I didn’t know you knew how to drive.” 

“I learned how to drive and got my driver’s license when I was 15, darlin’. Don’t worry I know what I’m doing.” I gave him a wink and he turned so red.   
  


We pulled up to the front of the school and I looked over to see Peter looking wide eyed at the good bit of students on the campus just wandering around until it was time to go in.   
  


“Come on.” I said as I got out and went to his side to open the door. I opened his door and there he was, just sitting there still buckled in. “Peter?”   
  


He looked up at me and muttered something as he unbuckled and stepped out of the car, careful not to bump his head on the butterfly door. I looked around to see Flash next to his Porsche, eyes widened as he noticed who stepped out. I turned back to Peter, smirking to myself as I helped get his book bag from out of the car. He immediately snatched it from me which he then mumbled an apology as his cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he looked around us. Everyone was staring at us. 

“Do you want to put on a show, darlin’?” I asked him in a deep southern voice against his ear. I could feel him take in a short breath as he shuttered. I smirked against his ear. He moved away from me and the car and quickly made his way through the campus parking lot, keeping his eyes down and hastily made his way up the steps into the front doors.   
  


I looked over to Flash, who was still looking flabbergasted with a girl wrapped around his arm. I gave him a sly smile and made my way across the campus, not missing all the hushed whispers about Peter and me.   
  


I casually walked up to Peter who had his face stuck in his locker. I coolly leaned against the locker next to him. I heard him take in a deep, shuttering breath.   
  


“What are you doing?” He asked in a soft voice, refusing to look at me.

“Hanging out with my new friend. Is that a crime.” I asked and I saw a flash of anger pass his face. He slammed his locker.   
  


“Look, we might be friends, but showing off in front of Flash is going to do more harm than good. Also, I’m pretty sure all the girls in the junior class hate me now. Thanks for that.” He huffed and started walking off. I quickly caught up to him.   
  


“So what you are saying is, don’t act like your friend at school?” I asked, trying not to seem hurt.   
  


“No, I’m saying stop trying to show off. I know what you told Flash last week and I didn’t need you to do that. In fact, I don’t need you to do anything for me. You can lunch with us, but other than that, I think we shouldn’t hang out during school hours.” He said, taking a sharp turn and leaving me alone in the hallway. It really seemed like he just said that he didn’t want to be my friend at school. And surprisingly, him admitting that made my chest hurt. 

I made it to first period to find Peter sitting next to MJ so I decided to sit next to Betty. I glanced back at Peter who ducked his head as soon as we made eye contact. 

“Trouble in paradise?” Betty asked me. I tilted my head and looked at her, confused. 

“W-What do you mean?” I asked with a little stutter. She scoffed.

“Oh come on, you and Peter. Never would have took you for someone who swung that way. Him on the other hand... well let’s just say there is a reason Flash calls Peter ‘ _Penis_.’”

“W-we aren’t together. We are just...” _Are we even friends now? Were we ever?_  


After school, I looked everywhere for Peter just to find him walking on the train platform staring at his phone waiting for the train. I felt so weird. Like not weird, but _hurt_. Sweet, Caring, Perfect Peter Parker was able to hurt _me_.

And the thought of that gave me physical pain.   
  


  
I made my way through the penthouse, passing through the kitchen. 

“How was school?” I heard Tony say but I ignored him, making my way to my room, slamming the door in the process. I threw my book bag down and plopped down on my bed. I took my phone out and looked at the news.   
  
  


Spider-Man Saves Window Washer from Falling to his Death

I smiled as I read about the Amazing Spiderboy. At least he is my friend.   
  


“Hey, FRIDAY?” I sat up and called out at nothing.

“Yes, Harley?” She answered back.

“Is there anyway you can get into contact with SpiderMan? I want to meet up with him tonight. Same place, same time.” I explained and she agreed. 

I laid back on my bed and let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“He said to tell you he will be here in an hour.” I smiled like an idiot as I nodded my head anxiously at an AI who probably didn’t even know I was doing that.

I spent some time on my phone and then I noticed I just wasted 30 minutes. I threw on my Beatles shirt and some actual pants. I slipped into my converse and headed to the roof. I kicked around some of the pebbles as I waited for Spidey. 

I heard the sound of a whoosh from a certain type of web. I smiled as I turned around to see him tilting his head.

“You called?” He seemed genuinely confused. 

“Yeah. Um, I just needed a friend.” I said and I saw his head dip down. 

“Um, what ever happened to MJ and Ned?” He said and I looked at his confused.

“How did you know who they are?” 

“Um, they are Peter’s friends, right?” 

“Yeah.” I scoffed. “That’s my problem.” I looked up at him to see him just staring at me, waiting for me to continue. “I don’t think Peter wants to be my friend. I thought we had a great time this weekend, but apparently I was wrong. So, I guess you are the only person I can confide in.” I said, feeling my eyes getting watery. I looked off into the sunset and took in a deep breath.

“You should just tell him how you feel.” He suggested.

I scoffed, “I doubt he wants to talk to someone he just blew off to go ride on a fucking subway.” He stayed silent for a moment.

“Well, you never know. _I_ would talk to him. Peter is understanding. If you told him how you feel... I doubt he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. He just... was a little agitated today. He doesn’t _hate_ you.” He said which I nodded along to. 

“Thanks.” I smiled. I heard sirens in the distance so I was pretty sure he heard it. “Go save the world, Spidey.” I said and he winked as he jumped off the building. I took in a deep breath as I went back inside. I found Morgan and Tony and Pepper sitting at the table ready and seemingly waiting on me. 

I just took a second to look at them and realized that I had everything I needed right here at this very moment.

And that was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed and pray for us because of that storm out there. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated. ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is crazy! It has only been a month since I started this story and I already have 3000 hits and 175 kudos? I mean, I have people who are sticking with me although I had to cut down my time on the story. Thank you guys for being so supportive!

  
**Peter’s POV**  
  


I got up before the sun even rose so I could swing my way to the compound to meet up with Harley before he dashed off to school. Here I thought he was the one who secretly hated me, but he thinks I hate him. When he told me that (as Spider-Man) I felt so guilty.   
  


I walked into the lobby, being greeted by a very tired lobbyist, who mumbled a good morning to me. I got into the private elevator that only the Avengers, the Starks, and Harley and I are able to use.   
  


“Good morning, Peter. Where to?” FRIDAY greeted me.   
  


“I’m good. Um, the penthouse, please.” I said as I rocked back and forth on my feet, trying to pass time.   
  


The elevator door opened and revealed Harley right in front of me. He raised an eyebrow at me.   
  


“Hey.” I croaked.   
  


“What- what are you doing here?” He said, looking back at Mr. Stark and then back at me.   
  


“Oh! I just, um... I was thinking, you could take me to... uh, school.”   
  


“Oh. Well then, come on.” He said, but his eyes still conveying a sense of confusion. He got into the elevator and as it shut, he turned to me, waiting for me to say something.

“I... I felt bad for how I treated you yesterday. I guess I was just... overwhelmed? I don’t know. I’m not the center of the spotlight mostly. Either way, I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” He flashed me a genuine smile. “It’s uh, just that you _were_ like my only... friend since I got here. And I just thought we had a good time.” He bit his lip and looked down at his shoes.   
  


_Oh. He thought I was apologizing for being an ass, not apologizing for making him think I wasn’t his friend.  
_

“I had a great time too. Not just going around the city, but doing it with my friend.” I grinned as he looked up at me and he raised an eyebrow. Then I cursed myself for how I phrased that. “Not having sex with you! Not doing ‘doing’ it! I um... I meant touring the city!” The elevator door opened to reveal the lobby just in time for Harley to burst into laughter at the sight of my probably super flushing face. I looked around to see a few random people staring at us in the elevator, but then they diverted their attention elsewhere.   
  


I looked over to see hope sparkling in those beautiful honey brown eyes of his.   
  


“You really mean it?” He gave me half of a smile. I nodded.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. Now let’s go get some coffee before school, I woke up way too early just to see your face.” I closed my eyes in embarrassment and I heard a soft chuckle come from him. “I swear, I don’t mean for my words to sound weird.”

“It’s okay, darlin’.” He smirked and I playfully punched him as he grasped onto his shoulder and gasped.   
  
  


We finally got to school and this time, I walked in with Harley right by my side. I don’t care what Flash thinks. He is not going to keep me from having good friends. God knows I need them. 

I mean, Ned and MJ are great and all, it’s just... even if it’s only when Spider-Man is talking to Harley, it’s like he gets it. He _understands_. Ned and MJ both have 2 loving parents and a shit ton of relatives. Although Harley’s dad didn’t _die_ , he left him. And sometimes that’s what it feels like happened to me.

I remember that night. I begged both of them not to go, but they still did. They left me. I guess I shouldn’t feel angry about it, especially since I don’t really understand why they had to leave so abruptly, but it still hurts, even today. Of course, I can’t talk about Ben as Spider-Man or my identity goes down the spout. (Pun intended) 

I’ve noticed how Harley actively listens to what I have to say. Not just because I’m a hero in a dope ass suit. Because he genuinely cares. For a couple of months after Ned found out, he only would pay attention to me if I talked about Spidey business. That doesn’t mean Ned is a dick, but in his defense, he had just learned that his best friend was Spider-Man. That couldn’t have been easy on him. 

I want to tell him, especially now since I know he doesn’t hate me, but I also have this pretty rational fear that if I tell him, he will get hurt. I mean, he is already in danger just by knowing Peter Parker and even Spider-Man separately. Everyone I care about, either as Spider-Man or as Peter Parker has gotten hurt. Or killed. I can’t let that happen to him. There’s just... something about him that makes me super curious. Or maybe my spidey sense is acting up again. I don’t know. 

We walked to first period and sat together, which earned me some disapproving stares from a couple of girls in the class. And a smirk from Betty.

We spent the majority of the time passing back notes to each other, since I already knew what we were going over. There were multiple jokes he decided to work out on me, so for the majority of the class, I was trying my hardest to not laugh.

After school, we had to stay after for Decathlon practice. We walked into the gym giggling like crazy at a stupid joke Ned made. I looked around the gym and found Betty talking to Mr. Harrington.

“Look Mr. Harrington, I might have to miss both of next week's rehearsals because I have to help get ready for homecoming. It’s my duty as Student Council president. And I need to do everything I can for my transcript for Stanford and—“ 

“Okay, okay. Sure. You can have next week off of practice.” Mr. Harrington practically rolled his eyes as Betty nodded her head elegantly and slowly got up making her way to the stage. Mr. Harrington turned around and his eyes immediately widened when he found me.

“Peter! Just the man I wanted to see!” Mr. Harrington exclaimed. I sucked in a deep breath as I could literally feel Flash’s eyes throwing daggers at me from the stage.

“Hey, Mr. Harrington.”

“As you know, next month is regionals and we are going to Albany. I was just making sure that you were still planning on going? And hopefully not going to run away this time?” I glanced at Harley as he said that, and Harley tilted his head and frowned.

“You ran away?” Harley asked.

“Oh yeah. He just completely disappeared and left us to get stuck in the elevator of the Washington monument without him.” Mr. Harrington explained.

_Oh shit. This is where I get caught._  
  


“Yeah, I uh, was kinda rebellious last year. I was uh still uh, grieving.” I came up with an excuse and immediately felt bad. _I just fucking used my uncle Ben as an excuse. Pathetic._

Harley nodded his head sympathetically. I dived out of the awkward tension and made my way to the stage. Harley followed suit and sat in the desk next to me.

“Okay, so let’s start with Physics.” MJ said with a neutral tone and face. “The work done by a friction force is?”

Flash tapped his bell first although I was halfway there. 

“It is always negative.” He said in a smug voice. 

“Correct.” MJ state’s and continued, “If the resultant force acting on a body of constant mass is zero, the body’s momentum is?” 

Flash rang the bell again, “The answer is always zero.” 

“Incorrect.” MJ smirked a little. I rang the bell to steal the question.

“The answer is always constant.” I pushed my lips together tightly, acting as if I didn’t know if that wasn’t the exact answer.

“Correct, Peter.” I glanced over to Flash to see him roll his eyes. “As a pendulum is raised to higher altitudes, its period?”

I rang the bell before Flash could get his hand on it, “The answer is that the period increases.” 

“Correct. Next question: The first law of thermodynamics is concerned with the conservation of—“

I interrupted her before she could finish the sentence, “Energy.” 

I knew it was wrong to just steal all the questions, but I was feeling confident in my answers. I mean, physics is my best subject. I looked over at everyone who either was staring daggers at me (Flash) it was super uninterested since they knew I was just going to steal the questions. I felt guilty. 

“Hey, uh, MJ? Could we go to a different subject?” I asked. She nodded as she knew exactly why I was asking. 

“Okay. Let’s go on to the history portion.” MJ said, “This historical person formed the hull house and dedicated herself to social work.”

I knew the answer but kept my mouth shut.

Betty proudly ringed her bell, “The answer is Jane Addams.”

“This person is an American writer who is known as the Father of American Literature.” 

This time, Harley rang his bell, “The answer is Mark Twain.” I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He smugly shrugged.

“This person is known as the first known person to create a code of laws and—“

Ned interrupted her with his bell, “Hammurabi.” 

“Correct.” I gave Ned a smile and then turned my head to Harley who quickly averted his eyes elsewhere. _Weirdo_.

“Okay, lets take a break.” MJ suggested and we all got out of our seats. I jumped out of my seat a little too quickly and accidentally bumped into Flash trying to reach Ned and Harley. His notes fell to the ground. I mumbled an apology and bent down to help him pick them up. 

“God, Parker! Didn’t your parents teach you manners?” Flash’s eyes quickly changed from anger to guilt. I paused and looked at the ground, trying to keep myself from whining like a little bitch. I felt like dying right then and there.

“Flash!” Betty scowled him. I glanced over at Ned and Harley, Ned looked sympathetic and Harley looked pissed.

“Oh shit, Peter. I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—“ Flash tried to apologize but I quickly stood up. 

“It’s uh, it’s fine. I uh, need to go to the bathroom.” I scurried out of there, ignoring Mr. Harrington’s pleads.

I went to the bathroom and immediately closed the stall door behind me. I took in a few shaky breaths as I could feel hot tears falling down my cheeks. I ferociously wiped them away as I heard the bathroom door open. I tried to calm down my Erratical breathing. The foot steps stopped moving a few steps from my stall. 

“Peter?” I heard a very distinct and low voice. I stayed silent, hoping Harley would just leave.

“Peter, I know you are in here. Please.” I heard him let out a breath, “Please come out. It’s just me.” I let out a sniffle.

“You can go back. I’ll be back in a minute.” I squeaked out and I could practically feel him shaking his head in disapproval.

“I’m not leaving you.” He said and I almost scoffed at that.

_Everyone leaves me. At some point._

I heard some shuffling around and glanced under the stall to see Harley sitting down on the urine infested floor, with his back faced to the stall wall. 

“I have no idea what you have gone through. But if it makes you feel better, it seems Flash does have a heart. He looks so guilty.” I gave him a soft chuckle and then there was silence again. “Peter, I haven’t had many friends in my lifetime. But, I believe part of the job description is to be there for them... And it seems like everyone else in that room wants to be too, well, maybe not Flash. But _I_ want to be there for you, Peter.” He said. I thought about what he said for a good minute. 

I opened the stall door slowly and could hear him jump up. I sling my book bag onto my back and looked at him. The next thing I know, I slammed myself into him and started sobbing into his shirt. For a second, I wanted to pull back, but then he placed a hand on the back of my head. I stood there for a minute, trying to control my crying, slowly making myself calm down.

After what felt like forever, I pulled away to look up at him. He stood there, staring at me, with those eyes that were practically smiling. I gave him a soft smile in which he returned. We stood there for a second and I forgot about everything. Just being close to him, it made me feel, calm and safe. It was bliss. I heard footsteps a few feet from walking the bathroom so I pulled completely out of his grasp just to see Ned opening the door.

“Hey, dude. Are you good?” Ned asked and I quickly glanced at Harley who was still staring at me. I looked back at Ned and nodded with a genuine smile. Ned motioned for me to follow him out.

I gave one last glance at Harley, and the way he was looking at me was... It was... weird. I _felt_ weird. I followed Ned out, leaving Harley there with that weird encounter being pushed to the back of my mind. 

A weird encounter, but a nice one nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I’m late! Hopefully this chapter makes up for it!

  
**Peter’s POV**

I think something is wrong with me.

I keep dodging Harley’s calls since what happened yesterday. I don’t know why, I just feel weird every time I see his caller ID or his stupid face.

I threw on a flannel and then a sweater over it since today was supposed to be a little chilly, which is understandable for mid- September. 

I walked out of my room to see May left me a plate of pancakes and a note that explained that she went to go get groceries. I ate them and headed out to the subway. On the walk there, I checked my book bag to double check to see my suit and web shooters in there. I’m not dumb. I had noticed Harley suspiciously looking at my sleeves yesterday. I’m not going to continuously wear them. It’s pretty idiotic on my part. What if someone sees them?

I checked my phone to find 2 missed calls from Harley and 5 unread messages. I contemplated opening them. I opened it.

_6:45 am_

_Hey, am I still picking you up?_

_  
???  
  
_

_Hello  
  
_

_Are you there?_

_7:10 am_

_Okay, well I’ll see you at school... I guess?  
  
_

I looked up from my phone and shoved it in my pocket. I felt bad that I ignored him, but maybe it was for the best? Maybe this feeling that I have every time I think of him is my spidey sense telling me to ditch him. It’s not safe to be friends with people who don’t know my secret. But also, it’s not safe to be friends with people who do know it.

_Should I not have friends?_  
  


I shook the thought from my head and when I came back from my thoughts, the train had stopped at my stop, across the street from the school. 

I hopped off and made my way into the school, later than normal but not late.

I walked over to my locker, starting to feel a bit of the sting on my abdomen from last night’s patrol. As I turned onto the hall my locker was on, I saw Flash, standing right next to it, clearly uncomfortable. I tilted my head as I walked closer to my enemy, who I had saved multiple times I might add. 

“Um, hey?” I said, clearly confused. He shuffled his feet.

“Hey, Pen— Peter. Uh, I just uh, wanted to apologize for—“ 

“Flash, you don’t have to. It’s fine—“

“Yes I do, Parker. What I did— it was out of line. Yeah, I’ve said a bunch of shit to you for no other reason then,” he looked around and then lowered his voice, “I’m jealous, okay? You barely have to try to get an answer right while I struggle to get at least an A. And... well, hearing all these great things about how your aunt is involved in your life and cares...” 

Hearing this coming from Flash made my stomach churn. I never really understood why he hated me so much. He just wants someone to care. His own parents don’t. I felt like pulling him into a hug and telling him everything would be okay. 

“I’m sorry.” Is all I could come up with. He chuckled at that. “What?”

“Even when you aren’t in the wrong, you still have the need to apologize. That’s something else I envy. You are so caring that it becomes annoying. There is like no flaw in you.” Now it was my turn to chuckle. _If only he knew._

“Well, thank you. And you do care. You just showed me that you cared enough to apologize and that is a big step.” I smiled and he returned it. The bell interrupted the nice moment and the halls started to flood with people. He dropped the smile and it was like a switch flipped inside him. He left me next to my locker like nothing happened. Great. 

I put some of my books in my locker, and closed the locker door to come face to face with Harley. 

“I started to get scared. Clearly I didn’t need to be though.” Harley said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. 

“I was late waking up. I didn’t want to make you late so I just took the subway.” I lied. He gave me a hard stare for a few seconds which made my stomach do flips, and then he smirked. 

“Okay. What was, uh, Flash doing at your locker?” There was the hit of annoyance again. Or was it anger?

“He came to apologize for yesterday.” I said and Harley frowned.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Just don’t tell anyone. Last thing we need is to ruin Flash’s reputation.” I joked and Harley smiled. 

“So uh, I know today is your off day, but I was wondering if you could come over, for dinner?” Harley but his lip and I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Like what, a date?” I joked and he raised an eyebrow before smirking.

“If you would like it to be, darlin’.” He gave me a devilish grin and there was that feeling again. I knew he was joking, so why did it make me feel so... weird? He seemed to pick it up, “No um... just y’know, we have family dinners on Wednesday night and it seems to everyone that you are as much family as Morgan is. Also, it would be nice to have someone on my side during dinner arguments.” 

“I’m sorry, but this is the day Aunt May is off work and I promised her I would have dinner with her. Which will probably end up getting Thai.” I explained and he was silent for a few seconds.

“Is there room for another person, then? I mean, I am pretty sure Tony would be okay with it and you could show me your LEGO collection.” I snapped my head up at that.

“How do you know about that?” I could feel my face flushing.

He smirked, “Ned.” 

“Dammit.” I said and smiled at him, “I think May would be fine with it. She has been wanting you to come to dinner soon, anyways.” He raised an eyebrow at that. I rolled my eyes at him. “You can come by around 6:00.” He nodded and I turned around to go to 1st period.

For some reason, I kept wondering if I should change. I decided against it since there was no reason to change. I did however tidy up my room a little and put my suit up with my “onesie.” I put my web shooters in a drawer right next to the dinner table. May gave me a disapproving look.

“What? You do know that there is a dude in prison who knows my identity, right? Not to mention, I ruined his life?” I explained and she shrugged. 

“So I take it you haven’t told Harley?” She asked.

“How many times are you gonna ask me this? No, and I don’t plan to. Well, not yet anyways.” 

“And what’s the reason again?” 

“Well, for one he could totally hate me. Or you know, have a target on his back for the next bad guy who learns who I am.” I explained and she just nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, but then there was a knock on the door. 

I walked over to the door and opened it, seeing Harley, with his golden brown hair combed instead of its normal messy mop and wearing a button down shirt with well kept jeans. It was clear he was trying to make a good impression. I let him in, without saying anything as I cursed myself mentally for not saying a simple hey.

“The Thai should be here soon.” May said and I closed the door. 

“You do know this is just a family dinner, right?” I teased and he gave me little smirk. 

“Hmm.” He scrunched up his nose and stuck his tongue out. May just smiled. 

“I have actually never had Thai before.” He admitted. Both May and I gasped. “I grew up in a little town in the country where the only restaurant we had was McDonald’s and a Popeyes. We had a KFC the other town over but, that town was 25 miles away. Our family had chickens for eggs for in the morning. And we had a town market where almost everyone in the town contributed. That’s where we got our food. That’s where we got our fresh meat and produce.” When he finished, my mouth was hanging open. 

“No offense, but how did you survive?” I asked.

He laughed, “I wouldn’t expect a city boy like you to understand.” 

“City boy? Huh. I don’t think I have ever heard that one.” I smiled. “So, What does your mom do for a living?” 

“Uh, she is a saleswoman for a small local company that sells lettuce. The company has a monopoly over lettuce in the town, so they get okay wages for a town of 1100 people.” He said, “I helped bring in money to pay for groceries. I worked out on our neighbor’s 10 acres farm. They grew watermelons and carrots and sweet potatoes. When it wasn’t harvest time, I feed their chickens and cleaned the pig pins.” 

“Oh my gosh, you are a farmer!” I flashed a big grin.

“Um, correction: was. It was a lot of work. I was always kinda scared that I would be stuck like that. Being a farmer. Yeah, I did it to help my family, but that is all. I didn’t really enjoy it. You hear so many stories of people completely despising their jobs, and I didn’t want to turn out like that. I started at the age 12, and I was scared Tony forgot about me when I turned 16. I Didn’t want to live my life being miserable, y’know?” He explained. I was so invested in his story, I had my arms propped up on the table and my hands under my chin, probably looking like an intrigued child.

There was a knock on the door and May seemed so excited. I mean, it was _Thai_.

She brought it to the table and Harley seemed interested in eating a new food. 

“If you don’t love this, you are dead to me.” I warned.

“Larb for you, Pete.” She handed me my larb. I love larb. 

“I got you some Phat Thai, it’s a simple dish. It’s the best to start out with.” She smiled at him as she sat down. 

“So, Harley. How exactly did you meet Tony?” May asked him.

“Well, it’s a pretty funny story. I was 11. And I was on my way to my shed when I heard a crash. I got my potato gun that I made myself and I expected it to be a raccoon or a possum. I opened the door to see a grown man with a weird glowing thing in the middle of his chest. He was tinkering with something. I got his attention and shot the potato gun a few feet away from him. He then proceeded to show me his suit that was not functioning. I then realized that Tony Stark was in my garage and he asked me to help him fix the suit. He asked me a bit about myself and I told him about my family and stuff. Long story short, I got kidnapped but I was able to get away and came home from school one day to find my shed filled with new Tech. He promised me I could come to live with him for my senior year to get a feel of city life and probably go to college.” He explained. I heard the story before, but it was still so intriguing. 

“You were kidnapped?” May asked with worry in her voice.

“Eh. Kinda. It was a dude who had a vendetta against Tony and stuff.” He smiled, “it was pretty cool.” May raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. 

“So I have been reading up on the Decathlon’s past field trips just to get a feel. I read that you guys got stuck in an elevator that would have fallen if Spidey didn’t show up. Did he show up because of you? Also, how did he get there so fast?” Harley asked. I glanced over to May who just smirked knowingly as she took a sip of her water. 

“Oh! Um, he uh, was already working on a mission in DC.” I said. It technically wasn’t a lie. 

“You must have been so scared.” He looked at me with such interwar sparkling in his blue eyes. 

I swallowed air, “Um, I wasn’t actually there. Uh, that morning I got really sick. So I uh made my way home.” 

“Yeah he was _really_ sick. I just wish he told his teachers that he decided to leave so he didn’t get in trouble and almost kicked off the team.” May said trying to hide a smirk. _She is trying to sabotage me!_

Harley looked at me with wide eyes, “Wow, Peter. How is Mr. Harrington not sick of you yet?” 

“Guess I’m lucky.” I nervously giggled. 

There was an unsettling silence before Harley spoke up.

“This is really good.” He said and I smiled.

“Well then, looks like you are safe. For now.” I smirked and he returned it as he stuffed more noodles into his mouth. 

After dinner, May suggested I go show my LEGOs that Ned and I built together. Harley enthusiastically voiced that her suggestion was a great idea. I gave him a glare and he smirked. 

I led him to my room and opened the door to let him in. He walked in and set his eye on the LEGO Death Star one Ned and I were finally able to finish after he dropped it in shock. 

“Nice. How long did it take you dorks to build this?” He asked. 

“45 minutes.” I stated and he snapped his head up at me in surprise. 

“So you guys go all in when you build them.” He snickered.

“Believe it or not, I could care less about what Ned and I do to spend time. He just really enjoys LEGOs and so I just build them with him.” I turn back to Harley who was just staring at me, smiling softly. Again, with the weird feeling.

“What?” I choked out. We stood in silence for a second before he opened his mouth, although he closed it again and shook his head.

“Nothing.” He said in a low, but soft voice. He looked above the LEGO sets to see two pictures. One of me and Mr. Stark and one of Ben and May with a little me. He zoned in on the one of me with Ben and May. 

“Is that your uncle?” He asked in a soft voice as he pointed to Ben.

“Yeah.” I smiled. 

“He looks very nice.” Harley said. I walked towards Harley so I was standing right next to him. 

“He was one of the best people I knew.” I sighed. 

“Well, I think, with the little time that I have known you, that he would be very proud of you. You are humble and caring and patient and kind. _You_ are one of the best people I know.” I smiled softly as I turned my head to look at him. His beautiful blue eyes were staring straight into mine and they were filled with honesty. I realized how close we were and I finally felt like I knew what that feeling was. 

I let out a shaky breath, which probably smelled like larb and then ducked my head down and moved away slightly. I looked outside my window to see the sun was getting ready to set. 

“Um, you should uh, probably get going before the sun completely sets. Queens at night isn’t the safest place.” I stammered. He looked a little disappointed, but he agreed. 

“I’ll uh, come pick you up tomorrow.” He gave me a small smile, “Be ready by 7:30.” I nodded as he left my room. I fell back on my bed and let all the thoughts flood my head. But one was the biggest of my concern:

_What the hell just happened?_  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Peter is finally catching the feels! How do you think Harley feels? Is he just teasing Peter? Or has he fell for our favorite spider boy? I hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof! This one is pretty long. Around 4,000 words! Hope you guys enjoy!

  
**Harley’s POV**

I don’t know what happened. One minute, I was complimenting Peter and then I was staring into Peter’s perfect beautiful chocolate eyes. I realized how perfect he looked with the sun hitting his face, showing off his features. His cheeks were flushed, and his lips... Needless to say, the rest of last week was uncomfortable. Hopefully today will be better. 

I understood why I couldn’t get him out of my mind. It was like with Spider-Man. He was so intriguing. Everything about him made me curious. The way he was breathtakingly hot and cute at the same time. The way if you surprised him, his voice would squeak. The way he cared for others and was kind to everyone he passed. The way he smiled. 

Every time I thought of him, I would feel all bubbly inside. And I thought of him an awful lot. It was crazy to think that within only a couple of months, I was able to go from hating him to liking him. Like, _liking_ him.

Yeah I liked him. He was easy to talk to and... well perfect. I mean, I would flirtatiously tease him just so I can see him blush. 

I pulled up to his apartment building to find him sitting on the steps. His face lit up when he saw me. He walked quickly to the car and got in.

“Good morning.” His lips turned up into a smile.

“Good morning. You seem to be in a good mood, but your eyes tell a different story.” I said, looking at the bags under his eyes, “God, Peter did you sleep at all last night?”

“Uh, no. Um, I uh... homework.” He was able to stutter out. 

“Yeah. _Homework_ on a weekend.”I scoffed and he turned to look out the window. “Hey, are you okay?” 

He nodded a little to quickly. To be honest, it looked like he hadn’t slept in days. 

“Okay. Um, we have some time to kill. Would you like to get some coffee?” I asked and his smile came back. 

“I would love to.” He grinned. 

We sat in silence for a few minutes until I blurred out, “So... are you going to the homecoming dance?” _Dammit_!

“Oh! Um... homecoming...” he took a deep breath and let out a nervous giggle, “Homecoming.” 

“Yeah. Are you going?” I reminded him what I asked.

“Uh, I don’t know. Last Homecoming I went with Liz, and I uh... had to bail because Mr. Stark needed me. And then that Monday she was packing up her stuff to leave.” He said. I nodded along although I could tell he was lying about something. 

I knew it wasn’t about Liz, though. Sometimes, the people who also were blipped whisper rumors about Liz and him. They wonder why she, a senior, went out with him. And some girls still seem to be salty that Peter ditched her at homecoming. It kinda hurts to hear him lying about why he ditched her though. 

Sometimes I feel like he has this big secret that he isn’t telling me. I understand that he has his own secrets, but he doesn’t have to lie about it. 

“So... how long did you guys date?” I asked. _Why am I digging myself into a bigger hole?_

He softly giggled, “We never were officially dating. I just finally had the courage to ask her to the dance and she said yes.” 

“Hmm. Well, I doubt Tony will keep you from going again. So, have you asked out MJ? Not that it is any of my business, but there seems to be something there.” He looked at me wide eyed.

“No! Well, I mean, on our trip to Europe, we tried, but it didn’t work out.” He pursed his lips. 

“Oh.” I sat there for a moment, before I realized something, “Wasn’t Spider-Man in London during that time? And he fought that fake superhero?” I glanced at Peter after I said that and he seemed really uncomfortable. 

“Uh, yeah. I wasn’t there though. I uh, made a suit for him on the plane with Happy. Although, everyone else thinks I was sick at my cousin’s in Berlin.” I don’t know how, but it still seemed like he was lying. Although, I remember reading the file in the Spider suits folder. Peter did make the suit on that plane 4 months ago. I don’t understand why it seemed he was lying. 

“So... you know what he looks like under the mask?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He smiled and nodded.

“Hm. I mean, I have been meeting with him for the past couple of months almost 2 or three times a week. He still won’t tell me who he is. He won’t even tell me what school he goes to.” I pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car. Peter immediately got out. He seemed super uncomfortable. “Hey, are you okay?” I asked as I closed my door. 

“Can we talk about something other than Spider-Man? It’s just, I get enough of it from Ned.” He let out a chuckle and then frowned as if he just said something he wasn’t supposed to.

I tilted my head, “Ned knows you work on Spidey’s suit?” He let out a nervous chuckle and then slightly nodded. I clenched my jaw, “Does he know who Spider-Man is?” 

Peter paused for a second and but his lip. That’s all I needed. I frowned and nodded.

“Harley—“ Peter tried. 

“No, it’s okay. Truly. I just um... I mean, I am guessing you three go way back, right? And you know, it’s not like I live with 2 floors above the Avengers and have the trust of _the_ Tony Stark of all people.” I could feel the jealousy leaving my body as soon as I said that. 

I looked over to Peter to show him I had calmed down, but it seemed like he looked... sad?... _Guilty_?

“I’m sorry, Peter. I— I just... I thought Spidey would have trusted me by now. I guess it’s just kind of frustrating to know I have gone to him with almost every single problem I have had since I’ve got here and he just... doesn’t seem to respect me as much as I respect him.” I paused for a second and then smiled, “Let’s go get some coffee, yeah?” 

As we walked out of the Coffee place, the atmosphere around us had completely changed. I started teasing Peter on our way back to the car about how he was totally oblivious to how that barista was totally hitting on him. There was not a spot on Peter’s face where he wasn’t completely red. 

We got into the car and I started bursting into laughter as he buried his face in his hands.

“Oh, come on, the guy was like looking at you as if he was trying to figure out how he would do you! I can’t believe you are so oblivious!” I chuckled. 

“I am literally wearing a stupid science pun shirt. He moved his jacket out of the way so I could see what it read. 

It read: 

_Never Trust an Atom_

_They **Make Up** Everything_

  
I smirked at him and couldn’t help but let out a laugh. I shrugged, “Some people dig that.” 

_I dig that._

“Ugh! I’m such a dork!” 

“You aren’t that bad.” I tried to hide my smile.

“The only thing that would even come close to a sport I have played is Marching Band.” I laughed at that. 

“Oo! Oo! What did you play?” I smiled. He gave me a long hard stare before looking down at his hands. 

“A clarinet.” He mumbled. I widened my eyes and he gave me a glare.

“Don’t you dare make fun of me.” He pointed his finger at me and I held up my hands in surrender. I looked at the time. 7:55.

“Shit!” I immediately started driving and Peter bursted into laughter.

As soon as we got to school, we ran into the doors and right as we made it in, the bell rang to go to class. 

“I have to go get my book. I’ll see you in physics, okay?” He said and ran off before I could even say anything. I smiled as I looked up to see the banner for Homecoming. I sighed. 

_He never even answered my question._

I kept looking at the door, waiting for Peter to walk through and he ran in, right as the bell rang. The teacher glared at him. 

“You are lucky, Parker. Take your seat.” She pointed towards me. He came to sit down and I smirked. I opened my mouth, but a glare from Peter made me close my mouth. 

Lunch rounded the corner and I sat right next to Peter before MJ came to sit down. I like MJ, but I don’t know, I still feel like there is something there between her and Peter. 

Ned came to sit right next to MJ with a huge smile on his face.

“So, are we going?” Ned asked, his face glowing. 

“Going where?” MJ started playing with her food. 

“To the dance. Duh! I mean, this time we can go as a group and we can make sure Peter doesn’t bail.” Ned said. He looked at Peter and they seemed to be having a full on conversation with their eyes. At the end, Peter widened his eyes and shamed his head. 

“Okay, yeah, Peter doesn’t have a senior he is planning on going with and MJ, you can go just to make fun of the couples who are on love or whatever.” 

“I’m in.” MJ said as soon as Ned finished. 

“Me too. I have nothing better to do that weekend.” I shrugged, acting like it wasn’t a big deal to me. We all looked at Peter.

“I don’t know guys. I don’t think I want to. Last year was a disaster,” he looked at Ned who gave him a look of... sympathy? “For many... different reasons.” 

“Well, we have to make new memories.” I explained. 

When Ned and MJ went to throw away their trays, I decided to try to get the real reason he didn’t want to go.

“Well, for one, I don’t know how to even dance.” I smiled. Finally something I could help with.

“Well, I can teach you.” I said. He raised an eyebrow.

“Just because I grew up in a small town, doesn’t mean my mom didn’t make me not go to cotillion.” I scoffed and he smiled. “Why don’t you know how to dance?”

“I was born and raised in Queens, not Manhattan.” He said and I nodded. 

“Well, I can teach you Wednesday at the compound. I can book the training room for an hour. It’s not that hard, I promise.” I explained. 

He smiled, “Okay. You are responsible for feeding me afterwards, though.” 

“Okay, then. It’s settled.” I grinned and MJ and Ned came back. 

“He’s coming.” I said as I drank the last bit of my milk. I glanced over to Peter who was still smiling at me. 

**Peter’s POV**

The school day went by super slowly, but on the upside, I did have most of my classes with Harley. I don’t know how to explain it, but every time I saw him, I couldn’t help but smile. He made me happy. 

Finally the bell rang and I made my way to Harley’s locker to wait for him. He leaves his keys in there because you know, it’s a very expensive car. I saw him make his way down the hall and I gave him my signature smile as I leaned my head against the lockers. 

“How do you always get here before me?” He asked, grinning as he put in his locker combination and opened the locker. 

“What can I say? I must have super powers.” I said and he rolled his eyes. Well, I wasn’t exactly lying. 

“Yeah, and I am an alien that can fly and shoot lasers out of my eyes.” He joked. 

“Hey! Don’t insult Superman like that!” I playfully hit his shoulder without thinking. He tried to hide a smile as he but his lip.

“What?” I asked.

“I think Flash is on to something when he says you are weak.” He teased me. _If only he knew._ “Which I personally think you are lying about your strength.” I could feel myself pale as he said that.

“W-what do you mean?” I stuttered. He smirked as he shut his locker and started walking down the already empty hallway. 

“Dude, we change in the same locker room. We have all seen your abs. Not to mention, how if you are busy talking to Ned or doing something, you get surprisingly better at running, and doing exercises. Then, when the coach calls you out, you go back to being a pathetic weakling.” He said. I could feel my ears get red. _Was he really paying that much attention to me?_

“Hmm. Interesting observation.” I played it off as if I wasn’t scared he was getting closer to find out how I spent my nights. 

“Y’know, by doing that, you are just giving Flash what he wants.” 

“Well, to be fair, I don’t know what he wants now. He has barely even looked at me lately.” I frowned.

“Why do you want people to perceive as a pathetic weak nerd? You are so much more than that.” He said with a genuine smile. We made it to the car and he opened up my door for me. I sat in my seat and he closed it. I took my back pack and put it at my feet so I didn’t forget it in the car. Wouldn’t want to lose my suit... or let him see it. 

He got in and cranked the car. He gave me a raised eyebrow, as if he was waiting for me to say something.

“What?” I asked.

“Why do you let everyone think you are someone you aren’t?” He questioned again. I shrugged. 

Of course, I knew why. If I showed everyone my full ability, then everyone would know. 

“I don’t like all the attention. In fact, I like to be in the shadows.” I explained, which wasn’t really far from the truth. Before I was bit, I was a pathetic kid and I didn’t really talk to anyone other than Ned and MJ would be there to call us losers. Even now, I don’t enjoy the attention. People think of me as the nerd, and I still am. And I enjoy it. 

He looked at me with such curiosity. We sat in silence as he backed up and got on the road. 

“You are a mystery, Parker.”   
  


We got to the compound and made it to the training room. 

I acted like I didn’t know where we were going and let him take the lead. After all, why would _I_ go train in the Avengers training room?

When we got in there and I saw that all the equipment had been moved to a corner. Also, the lights seemed to have been dimmed. I raised an eyebrow, “Hmm. This doesn’t seem like a training room.” I joked. He smiled and he took off his jean jacket, which gave me a better look at his biceps. His white shirt was kind of tight on him, which also let me see that he was in better shape than I thought. He placed the jacket on a bench and ran a hand through his floppy dirty brown hair. My breath seemed to be caught in my throat as he turned to look at me. I took off my jacket, suddenly feeling a little self conscious of my body, since he seemed to be more fit than I. (Which technically didn’t matter, since I can lift 100x more than my own weight, I have better stamina than probably the healthiest person on earth, and I am insanely flexible without having to put in any effort.) 

He walked closer to me, making my heart beat faster than ever. I would be super surprised if he didn’t hear it, cause I definitely could feel my pulse throughout my entire body. 

“So, um. What do I do fir—“ I was cut off by him snaking his arm around my waist. He proceeded to put his other arm and pressed his hand against my back, causing me to fix my posture. I looked down to my side to make sure that I wasn’t making this up. _What was I expecting? He is teaching me to dance_.

I took in a shaky breath as I looked back up at him, inches away from his face. He was a few inches taller than me so that helped put a bit of distance. He was looking straight into my eyes, and I couldn’t take mine off of his. 

“Okay, so now you put your arms around my shoulders.” He started talking in a very low voice and I let my eyes wander to his lips for a second but then straight back to his eyes. I couldn’t tell which one was more pleasing to look at: his lips or his eyes. 

“Okay.” I could feel my voice shaking. I hesitantly placed my arms over his shoulders. My mouth became super dry super fast. 

“FRIDAY, start the music.” He said quietly and the soft playing music started in the background, “Okay so now you just... sway and follow my feet.” I nodded and started to sway. I tried to focus my attention on my feet. I immediately stepped on his foot.

“Sorry.” I whispered.

“It’s okay,” He lifted my chin so I was looking at him and not our feet. “Don’t focus on the feet. Focus on me.” He smiled. I took in a deep breath as I started to get the hang of it. He didn’t take his eyes off me once and the way he was looking at me... it made me feel like I was the only person who mattered at this moment. 

The song ended, and he stopped swaying. But he didn’t move his arms or even move at all. I could hear his deep ragged breaths as he glanced down at my lips. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it, but his face was getting closer and closer, our noses touching. 

“Harley...” I felt my phone ding in my pocket and my eyes immediately widened.

That _ding_ was specifically for if Mr. Stark got suited up, which he hasn’t done since Thanos. I pulled my body away from Harley, although my mind was screaming not to. I pulled out my phone to see it was exactly what I thought. 

“What’s wrong?” Harley asked. I looked up at him and gave him a sympathetic smile.

“I’m sorry. I- I have to go.” I ran over to the bench to get my jacket and book bag. “Thank you, so much Harley. I- I have to go.” 

“Hey, is everything okay?” He asked but I couldn’t think straight. My mind was spinning. I can’t let Mr. Stark do this. _I can’t let him die._

“I have to go.” I ran out of the room and down the hall. I made sure Harley wasn’t following me before I made it to the balcony. I took out my suit and quickly put it on and jumped off the balcony. 

I flew through the air, swinging around trying my hardest to get there as fast as I could. I could see in the distance a blast of light and I knew it was him. I swung faster than ever and then stopped on the building above and shot a web to stop the bad guy in a weird ass suit from stabbing Mr. Stark who was on the ground in his suit. I pulled his arm back and the man looked up at me and smiled. He winked and then flew off. I was so stunned that I let him go and I ran over to Mr. Stark.

“Mr. Stark?” I ran over and I helped him up. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Harley?” 

“Yeah, I was. Before I got a notification that you suited up again.” 

“Did you bug my suit?”

“Yeah. And guess what? It was a good thing I did since you just almost got impaled by a spear. What the hell do you think you are doing?” I felt anger bubbling up. 

“Kid-“ 

“No! Don’t _Kid_ me! I’m not a 14 year old kid anymore! And you are a father now. You can’t do this anymore!” 

“That man— is the last one from Toomes crew. I had been tracking him for the last few years but then I got distracted when half of the population got blipped. I finally found him again and I was so close.” 

“Yeah, to dying.” 

“Peter-“ 

“Morgan needs you...” I choked on a sob, “I need you.” I felt the tears coming down. Mr. Stark enveloped me into his arms as I felt my legs get weak. 

I couldn’t stop the tears from coming down. 

_I’ve lost my parents. I’ve lost Ben. I can’t lose Tony too._

“I can’t lose you, Tony!” I threw my arms around him and continued to sob into his chest. 

“You aren’t going to lose me, okay Pete?” He sighed heavily, “God, kid, I love you so much.”

I let out a laugh in between my tears. “I love you too, Tony.” He pulled me off of him so I could look directly into his eyes.

“I promise, I will not put back on his suit unless there is imminent danger to the Earth, okay? I can’t promise I won’t ever put it on again, but I won’t do it for some thug, okay?” He gave me a soft smile as I nodded in agreement. 

He pulled me back into a hug and we just sat there, for what felt like forever. 

“So, you finally said Tony. I like that much better than Mr. Stark.” I could practically feel him smirking.

“Okay, _Tony_.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooo! I couldn’t even write that ending without smiling. Also, now that you know how Harley feels, what do you think will happen next?  
> More coming soon, I promise.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are appreciated! ;)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry that it has taken me 3 weeks! My schedule has been a bit wack since this week was Homecoming. I hope this makes up for my horrible time management.

  
**Harley’s POV**

It hurt. Probably more than it should have.

_He ran off because he felt uncomfortable. He ran off because he doesn’t like you the way you like him. You ruined probably everything. The only actual friend you have._

I kept my distance and decided against texting him last night after he ran off. He looked pretty worried and it seemed like it was urgent, but still, the timing of everything made me question it. 

I threw on a black ripped sweatshirt and dark gray skinny jeans. Might have been a little over the top and dramatic, but I could care less. 

I didn’t bother to fix my hair, like normal, and made my way to the elevator. 

“Hey! How did last night go?” I heard Tony ask me from the kitchen.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I grumbled as I quickly made my way to the elevator. 

“Hey! Wait!” I could hear him shuffling his feet towards me. I sighed as I turned around to look at him. 

“What?” I snapped, a little too harshly. 

“What’s wrong?” Tony seemed really worried, it kind of resembled Peter last night. I debated telling him. I just realized that I haven’t had a chance to tell Tony about how I feel. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, waiting.

I sighed, defeated, “Peter and I almost kissed.” Tony’s eyes widened almost twice their size. “But then he bailed. He seemed to not even acknowledge that I tried to kiss him.” 

“So... you like Peter?” He said after a few seconds of silence. I nodded. 

“He clearly doesn’t feel the same way.” I scoffed. 

“I don’t know.” He said and I looked at him confused. He gave me a shrug, “You should just ask him why he left. He will tell you.” 

I shook my head, “It is weird. I have been getting this feeling that he keeps lying about things. You know probably better than anyone. He starts to stammer and He bites his lip, which is very cute by the way, as if he is trying to think of a lie off the top of his head.” 

I looked over to Tony after I finished and he looked very uncomfortable. “And there you go too.” I said. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he decided against it. 

“Okay, well. I’m going to school.” 

“First you are going to pick up Peter?” He seemed to be making a statement at the same time he was questioning. 

“I’m going to school.” I turned my back to him and walked into the elevator. 

  
I made my way to the car and I felt this weird urge I hadn’t felt in years; I wanted to cry. I _needed_ to cry. I took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. 

I wouldn’t cry for him. I wouldn’t cry for a guy I met 2 months ago and hated him at the beginning. I wouldn’t cry for probably the nicest, most caring guy in the world. 

It dawned on me: this was more than just a stupid crush. I really _really_ liked him.

Peter Parker broke my heart. And the worst part, he probably didn’t even realize it.

As soon as I calmed down, I cranked the car and made my way to the school. 

I walked through the school doors and to my locker. When I got there, Peter was already waiting for me. 

“Hey. Did you forget to pick me up or something?” He said in a joking voice which made me even angrier for some reason. I ignored him as I got my books.

“Harley, if you are mad about last night, I’m sorry. I had to—“

“Yes Peter. I would love to know what was so urgent that you couldn’t even tell me before running out the door.” I looked at him sternly. 

“I-“ He stopped and looked like he was conflicted with answering that simple question.

“Exactly what I thought.” I hastily nodded as I slammed my locker door. _Don’t cry. Don’t cry._

“Wait, Harley—“

“No, Peter. I don’t want anymore lies.” I took in a deep shaky breath before looking directly at him, “I’m done.” 

I walked away from him, and went to first period. I sat next to Betty, because I didn’t— no I _couldn’t_ sit next to him. Not because I was mad at him. Because I was afraid just sitting next to him would make me unmad. 

I didn’t sit with them at lunch, which ended with MJ making faces at me during gym... along with the other 7 people in this class. 

While I was on the floor stretching my legs, I watched Peter with interest. He was acting so weak. Why was he acting so weak?

“Y’know, if you want him to know you are pissed, you shouldn’t stare.” A voice said from behind me. I turned around to find Betty smirking at me. She sat down next to me and started to stretch her legs also. 

“I’m not staring.” I said in defense. She scoffed.

“What did he do anyways?” 

“None of your business.” I replied sternly. She held up her hands in a mocking surrender.

“Okay, you are right. I don’t need to know... but knowing Peter, he probably doesn’t know what you are mad about. He is like super oblivious.”

“No, he knows.” I stood up and went to go sit in the stands, leaving Betty behind. 

I opened my book bag and pulled out my book. I put it in front of my face, but not to far up that I couldn’t see Peter. 

He and Ned were doing stretches and Peter started laughing. Probably because Ned something. I had to refrain from smiling at Peter’s perfect laugh. 

All of the sudden, Peter’s face got really serious and his eyes widened. He snapped his head around to the Gym’s outside doors and started moving backwards slowly. I put down my book and leaned forward, trying to figure out what he was doing. I glanced at Ned who was looking at Peter with like a knowingly worried face. 

Just seconds after Peter’s reaction to nothing, the door were busted open and went flying to the other side of the gym. 

Peter bolted to the stands and grabbed his bookbag and ran to the bathroom that were in the opposite corner of the gym. Everyone started screaming as a man stepped over the debris of the broken doors. He had these weird bulky things on his wrist that I assumed were arm cannons. The coach told everyone to stay put, but everyone except me got bundled by the gym doors that were connected to the school. I stayed put, since I couldn’t move after his eyes scanned over me. 

“I’m looking for Spider-Man. I know he is here, the sooner someone tells me where the little bastard is, the sooner I will leave and not blow off your heads!” The guy had a very gruff voice, and his voice was filled with hatred. 

His eyes stopped at me and he smirked. ”You can be my first example.” He lifted his arms and finally, my body allowed me to move and I ducked out of the way. He fired it and I finally realized what those were. And who he was.

Shocker. 

He lifted his arms to fire at me again, but then his arms were pulled away by a web. I followed where the web was shot from and I saw right next to the bathroom door, Spidey. 

Spidey was right next to the bathroom door... 

That Peter ran in to. 

The same Peter that reacted to a sound moments before the sound even existed. 

The same Peter that has been accused of bailing on trips that Spider-Man had been sighted at.

The same Peter that _is_ Spider-Man. 

I turned back to the situation at hand just for me to be swooped up and placed on the floor next to everyone else. 

“Get them out of here!” Spider-Man ordered the coach and everyone ran out without a seconds thought. I followed, but I stayed by the door. 

“Y’know, just to think that I was finally free of you and Toomes. Then I had to be surprised by Stark last night. Look how far the kid has come, now you are saving Stark’s ass. Wouldn’t want him to die, like he should have on that battlefield.” Shocker viciously laughed. I heard Spider-Man let out a growl as he charged forward. 

Shocker raised his arms and shot, just to miss Spider-Man as he slid under Shocker’s legs. Spider-Man contorted his body so that he could web Shocker’s foot. He tugged on it and Shocker fell to the ground before he even knew he missed his shot at Spider-Man. Spider-Man jumped several feet in the air and did a flip to be in front of Shocker. He stopped in his tracks and turned his head my way. 

It was enough time for Shocker to blast him. Spider-Man was thrown by the blast and I could hear a bone crack from here. Spider-Man pushed himself up using his elbows and he tried to stand, but failed. I looked down at his foot to see his ankle was not in place to say the least. Shocker stalked towards him and grabbed him by his neck. He slammed Spidey into the brick wall and I could hear him let out a short hiss. Spidey tried to claw Shocker’s hands off of his throat. He started to cough as he kept trying to breathe. 

I looked around, trying to find something that could help me help him. My eyes landed on a fire extinguisher that was about 5 feet away from me. I ran over and took it off it’s rack. I ran over to the Shocker, who was too focused on squeezing the life out of Spider-Man. I lifted it and hit him on the back of the neck as hard as I could, and he fell to the floor instantly. 

Spider-Man’s hand went straight to his neck as he fell to the floor, taking in huge raspy breaths. I dropped the extinguisher and shakily put my hand to my mouth. Spider-Man recovered within a few seconds and looked at the Shocker who was on the ground, not moving an inch.

“I-is he dead?” I asked, my voice breaking. I could hear the sirens in the distance. 

Spider-Man crawled his way to the Shocker and gently placed two fingers against his neck and let out a raspy no.

I looked at the hero and then I suddenly felt anger. I quickly made my way to the bathroom, and I could hear Spider-Man behind me trying to keep up with his injured ankle. 

“Harley, what are you—“ I cut him off by snatching up the book bag that was in the first stall and shoved it into him. 

“You might want to get changed before the police show up, _Peter_.” I could feel my nostrils flare as I looked at him with such anger and betrayal. I expected some part of me to be astonished by the fact that Peter was a hero and even better than I imagined, but all I could feel was anger. He lied to me, for _months_. I tried to turn around but he grabbed my hand.

“Harley—“ He slowly took off his mask and there he was, his stupid beautiful face. I could hear the sirens getting closer. But I could care less. Here was Peter, in Spider-Man’s fucking suit. 

I saw a few cuts on his face and a huge bruise was starting to form around his neck. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t super worried, but that was easily clouded by anger.

I snatched my hand back and gave him a look of disgust. 

“I don’t need excuses, Peter. I just need you to stay away from me for a while. I- I need to process this.” I said, as I could feel my anger fade and it was replaced by confusion. 

I slowly walked out of the bathroom and made my way through the doors and walked down the hallway to find the rest of my class standing at the end of the hallway, looking at me with astonishment. Except for MJ and Ned, of course. Because they already knew. A good 30 seconds later, Peter walked out with an officer who was guiding him back to us. The cuts and bruises seemed to be gone, which were probably covered by concealer. He tried his best to walk normally, and to everyone else it must have seemed he was. I could see him wince with every step but he tried his best not to limp. He glanced at me but then looked back at the floor. 

“Oh my god, Peter! We saw you run into the bathroom and— oh my god, are you okay?” Betty ran up to him and enveloped him in a hug which he winced at. He probably broke a rib from being thrown around. 

“Y-yeah I’m fine I just, I felt sick to my stomach and then I heard a loud noise and uh, everyone screaming. I just stayed in there to uh, well you know me. I’m a wimp.” He nervously giggled. And Betty patted his arm. I let out a little scoff and Peter glanced around me one more time before smiling back at Betty. 

“Damn, Harley how did Spider-Man take him out? What happened? Was it like super cool, or like amazingly cool?” Flash started fangirling. 

“It was just a regular fight.” I shrugged. Flash looked at me like I just killed someone.

“Excuse me? Nothing about a fight with Spider-Man is normal or regular.” Flash scoffed. 

I glanced at Peter to see him turn his head quickly to the ground. I walked away from Flash without another word and as soon as the police left with the Shocker, we were allowed to get our things from the gym and leave early for the day because it was seen as a “traumatic experience” and most kid’s parents wanted them home for the rest of the day and Decathlon was cancelled.

As I walked out of the school, I saw Peter walking to the subway platform. I didn’t feel any more anger, instead, I felt... more attached to him. I noticed him being a hero made me like him even more. He was not only kind and considerate, but he helped people’s lives be better, hell he even saved lives. I wanted to text him and tell him I didn’t care that he lied to me for so long. But I knew then I would be lying. Because I did care. I still felt betrayed and it hurt me even more. I decided against texting him and got into my car. I’d see him at the compound later today. 

  
  
I made my way to the workshop and just found Tony. I was already about 20 minutes late, so I had expected Peter to be here by now.

“Uh, where is Peter?” I asked. 

“He told me that he wanted to spend some time with May tonight.” Tony explained, without looking up from the engine on that old rustic car he was working on. 

“Hmm. I’m sure that is the reason.” I scoffed. He looked up and frowned at me. I gave him a raised eyebrow, “He probably just doesn’t want to see me.” 

“Are you mad at me?” Tony asked after a moment of silence.

“No.” I gave him a surprised look, “I get it, it wasn’t your secret to tell. But he had so many chances to tell me and he didn’t. That is my biggest problem.” 

“Well, not to get in the middle of this, but have you thought of it from his perspective? Take it from someone who has a hero’s perspective: the biggest reason we don’t tell others our identity is because we are afraid the people we love will get hurt.” Tony explained.

“Well, he told Ned and MJ.” I argued.

“No, they actually found out. Everyone who knows has found out. He hasn’t told anyone.” Tony corrected me. I heard what he was saying, but I was still kind of angry. 

“Let’s just get to work.” I said and went over to my station, but then I turned back around. “Do you need any help?”   
  


He looked at me for a long second and then smirked, “Do you even know this model and make?”

I shrugged smugly, “It is a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette.” 

“Nice.” He smiled. He waved a hand for me to come and take a lot at what he had done. FRIDAY interrupted us before Tony could tell me what I could do.

“Boss, Justin Hammer has made it on Live National News.“ FRIDAY said with fear in the AI’s voice.

Tony’s head snapped up to the speakers, “What?!” Tony looked... scared. “When did he get out of prison?” 

“There is no record of Hammer getting out or escaping. Someone must be covering it up.” FRIDAY seemed just as concerned as Tony. 

“Pull it up.” Tony said and a big holographic screen was projected into the room. The live footage seemed to be up high since you could see everything in Times Square. Hammer was standing out in the front of Times Square with a police barricade surrounding him, about 70 feet away in every direction. There didn’t seem to be many civilians, since I’m guessing the police told them to leave. 

All the sudden, a fast moving figure swung into frame. Spider-Man landed right in front of Hammer.

“Oh, God. What the hell does he think he is doing?” Tony furiously exclaimed. “Put me through his comms.” 

“I can’t. He seems to have taken out his external communications.” FRIDAY explained. Tony pursed his lips in anger. 

I couldn’t look away. It seemed Hammer and Peter were... talking. All the sudden, Peter’s head swiveled behind him and Hammer ran just inches in front of Peter. As soon as Peter turned his head, Hammer sprayed something onto his mask. The spidey stumbled back and caught himself before he tripped over his own feet. He started swaying and put his hands out, seemingly trying to keep himself balanced.

“FRIDAY! What the hell just happened?” I demanded an answer. She stuttered out that she had no clue. 

“That’s it.” Tony tapped his chest, but nothing happened. He did it again, yet nothing happened. “FRIDAY!” He yelled in panic.

“Early this morning he was tinkering with it. He ordered me to not let you suit up under any circumstances.” FRIDAY stated. 

Tony scoffed, “Then override it.”

“I’m sorry Boss, but I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t? I am your boss, FRIDAY. You listen to me, not some prepubescent teen!” He started yelling, tapping his chest repeatedly. 

“I agreed because it is a breach in your safety. Peter was right. You made a very dangerous impulse decision last night.”

“PETER IS DOING THE EXACT FUCKING THING AT THIS EXACT MOMENT! I SWEAR, FRIDAY, IF YOU D—“

“I’m sorry, Boss. I can’t. You told me to do anything I could ever do to help Peter, and keeping you alive is now my top priority.” FRIDAY said solemnly.

_That’s where Peter was last night? Saving Tony?_

Tony ran a hand through his hair as he started pacing and focused back on the screen. Peter was slowly backing up as Hammer started stalking forward.

Steve Rogers busted through the doors, “What the hell is happening Tony?” Tony looked at him and then back to the screen. 

“Get to Times Square now. Take Sam, Rhodey and Wanda.” Tony ordered Steve.

“Tony What—“

“NOW!” Steve then ran out with no hesitation.

We both looked back at the screen. I knew Hammer had Military experience and Peter looked all out of sorts. Hammer threw a punch at Peter where Peter slowly brought up a hand to block it, but failed miserably. The punch hit him straight in the face. Peter fell to the ground, although Hammer pulled him back up and Peter pulled his arm up and tried to push Hammer away by his shoulder. Hammer then leaned in, seemingly whispering something into his ear. 

Out of nowhere, a huge spear formed out of a piece of metal on Hammer’s arm.

“No, no, no.” Tony’s voice cracked.

I saw it all in slow motion as the spear could be seen cutting straight through his lower abdomen. Hammer looked up at the helicopter as he pulled the bloodied sword out of Peters body and Peter fell to the concrete.

I felt one lonely tear fall from my face as I couldn’t look away from the screen. I heard in the background Tony screaming at Friday and throwing everything he could find off the desk closest to him.

I see red waves inflame the screen and Hammer was lifted into the air. The camera focused onto Wanda, and you could see tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were glowing a dangerous red and then a shield was thrown up at Hammer, knocking him out cold. 

“I’m setting up the medbay and have ordered Cho and Dr. Banner to the med bay.” FRIDAY said frantically. She shut down the holograph to keep us from any more agony. 

Tony fell to the floor and let out an agonizing scream. I ferociously wiped at my eyes. The tears kept falling.

_I can’t. I can’t do this._  
  


_If Peter... if Peter is gone, he’ll be gone thinking I hated him_.

But it is far from that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof! Sorry for leaving you on the major cliffhanger. Hey hopefully you will have another chapter next week.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are appreciated. ;)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s fall break my guys so u might get another chapter by Sunday. No promises tho!  
> Enjoy!

  
**Peter’s POV**

  
_I swooped down to come face to face with Hammer. This was the perfect thing to get my mind off Harley. A good distraction._

_“How did you get out?” I asked him in a deeper voice than my own. He smirked at me.  
_

_“Oh come on, Spidey. I just want some fun with Anthony. Where is he?” He smiled. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. My spidey sense was off the charts. He was saying he was looking for Stark, but he seemed... pleased to see me.  
_

_“Tony isn’t coming.” I said as I stood my ground. Something was about to happen. I could feel it.  
_

_“Tony? You call him Tony. Guess I was right to say you two were close.” He chuckled. Suddenly, as if it was something I couldn’t control, I turned my head quickly to see a drone with Hammer written on the side fall to the ground. I turn back to Hammer just to have something sprayed straight into my face._

_I suddenly started to feel... weird. The world started to spin and I caught myself before I fell. I started to back up as I saw Hammer stalking towards me. I tried to sense his next move but nothing. I had nothing. In fact, I could barely hear anything and my legs felt like jelly.  
_

_“W-What did you do?” I croaked out, trying to keep my balance._

_I saw Hammer bring up his fist and I was caught off guard since my Spidey Sense did not register it. I brought up my hand just for it to be twisted back far enough that I heard a crack. I was weak. I could barely even hold a pathetic fist. Next thing I knew, my head was flung back and all I could feel was a stinging pain running throughout my face. I fell to the ground, because I couldn’t keep myself up anymore. Hammer pulled me up by my neck just so I could see his shit eating grin. He pulled me toward him as he whispered in my ear._

_“Sorry, kid. I need to get Stark’s attention somehow.” Suddenly I felt stabbing pain on my abdomen. He let go of me and fell straight to the ground. I heard gasps and yelling. All I could see was red. I looked down to see blood everywhere and could faintly smell that metallic smell that comes with blood. Then I looked up to see Hammer up in the air with my blood surrounding his entire body. Wait, was that my blood? It looked like my blood. Except it was... waving?  
_

_I laid my head back against the cool concrete. I looked up at the sky. I saw a flock of birds fly overhead. I know what it’s like to fly. To soar. To feel the wind blow through your hair. To be free. Is this what it is like to feel completely free? No worries, no hurting. Just bliss. Would Ben be happy to see me? Would my parents?  
_

_Rhodey and Sam were standing above me with worried faces. Or were they? I couldn’t get a grasp on what was real._

_My eyes felt heavy. I tried closing them, but “Rhodey” ordered me to keep them open. I felt as if I was floating in the air with more red surrounding me. I focused on the sky.  
_

_For what felt like hours, I kept zoning in and out. One second I felt as if I was floating in the air and then the next I felt like I was on a bed that was rolling. I turned my head to the side to see a familiar looking A on the wall and Dr. Cho and Banner running towards me. I was on a rolling bed. I looked back up to see Wanda, the rim of her eyes were red and swollen.  
_

_I never processed the situation until now.  
_

_I was dying._   
  


**Harley’s POV**

As soon as FRIDAY told us Peter had made it to the lobby, I snapped out of my daze and looked at Tony, who had Pepper at his side. _When did she get there?_

I ignored it and dashed for the elevator. I headed straight for the medbay, ignoring FRIDAY’s warnings. 

I bursted through the elevator to see a wall of glass separating me for the med bay and found Peter being rolled into the room on a rolling bed, leaving a trail of blood on the floor. Steve, Sam, Dr. Cho, and Dr. Banner were rushing him to the already set up station. I tried to open the glass door to get into the room with Peter.

“PETER! PETER!” I screamed as I tried to open the door which had been locked probably by Friday. I felt Wanda’s shaking hands try to pry me off the door. I continued to keep my eyes on Peter as I tried to get Wanda off of me. He turned his head to the side and I will never forget the look on his face. His eyes were glassy, his face pale white. He _looked_ dead.

Wanda pulled me into a hug as I just cried at the scene in front of me. I fell to the floor, causing Wanda to also fall. 

“I NEED TO GET IN THERE! I NEED—“ I was sobbing so hard I couldn’t catch my breath. 

“It’s okay. He’s gonna be okay.” Wanda’s voice broke. I don’t think she even believed her lie.

Steve and Sam came out and had to drag us out of the room. We passed a couple of Dr. Cho’s team that came running down the hallway. 

All four of us, Rhodey and Tony were sitting in the waiting room. Tony had been staring at the floor for about 25 minutes with Rhodey right by his side and everyone was silent. 

I felt numb. I had no more tears left to cry. We had literally been sitting in the damn waiting room for the past half hour with no news. Steve and Sam were covered in blood. Spider-Man’s blood. _Peter’s_ blood. I couldn’t look at them. 

The waiting room door bursted open and there was May, in her scrubs, tears still running down her cheeks.

“Where is he? W-what— where is he?” Her eyes went straight to Sam and Steve’s bloodied suits. She let out a gasp and stumbled back. Rhodey got up and put a steady hand on her shoulder.

“He’s in surgery. We got to him early.” Rhodey said. I noticed that he didn’t say he would be okay.

“Oh God.” She put a hand to her face and looked at Tony and her face contorted into anger. “Why weren’t you there?” Tony looked up once he realized she was asking him. 

He looked horrible. 

“Peter... he- he hacked into my suits and, and I couldn’t...” Tony took in a raspy breath and looked back at the floor. She noticed how beaten up he looked, so she let it go.

May shrunk into a seat right across from me. I kept my eyes focused on the ground until I heard the door open again. It was Dr. Cho. She must have changed before she came because she wasn’t bloody anymore.

I jumped to my feet, as did May. Tony’s reaction happened mere seconds after she came in. _God, he messed up by this._

Dr. Cho eyes met with May’s, “Are you May Parker?” 

“Y-yes I am. Is Peter okay?” Her voice shook.

Dr. Cho nodded, “He’s alive, but very fragile. Multiple thoracic vertebrae have been cracked. He needs a blood transfusion.” Tony’s head snapped up at that.

“What?! His vertebrae?” Tony exclaimed and Dr. Cho gave him a warning look. May seemed to shake the thought of her nephew being paralyzed.

“I’ll do it.” May answered back quickly. Dr. Cho gave her a sympathetic look and then slowly shook her head. 

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Parker. But his DNA has been drastically changed ever since he was bitten. Also, you aren’t a blood relative and we don’t know your type.” 

“I’m type A. Please, let me.” May pleaded.

“I can’t. We don’t know what could happen if we gave him a normal person’s blood. We do know, however, that if he ever gave blood to a normal person, that person would most likely die due to the level of radiation in his blood.” She stopped for a second to let that news settle, “Steve?”

Steve looked up and his eyebrows scrunched up, confused.

“I think the best option would be you. We can’t wait for his body to pump the blood back. Whatever Hammer dosed him with, it’s messing with his fast metabolic and reproductive state. In fact, it’s slower than even the average human. But Steve, you are the closest recipient we think that could work. You two share multiple similarities in your genetic structure. It should work, Dr. Banner’s would not work since his level of radiation is way too high. You are our only hope, Steve.” 

He nodded, “I will do anything it takes.” 

“I will only need to take about 3 pints.” 

“3 pints?!” May exclaimed in a high crackly voice. 

“It’s okay, Mrs. Parker. He is stable for now. He just desperately needs this transfusion now.” Dr. Cho said in the most understanding tone she could manage. 

“Okay, let’s go.” Steve said. Steve gave one last look at Tony but Rhodey gave him a reassuring nod. 

“Where is the son of a bitch now?” I spat out viciously. 

Sam leaned forward in his chair and rubbed his hands together. “He is on his way to his own little isolated island that is swarmed with over 65 Marines that have had background checks, and have been in the marines for more than 15 years. They were all the top of their class and have mastered multiple different martial arts. He is not getting out for the rest of his life. In fact, this is super classified that nobody, not even the president has access to knowing where this island is.” 

I nodded and Tony scoffed. 

“Something wrong?” Sam asked. 

“Hell find a way out. He always does because he is a manipulative psychotic narcissist.” Tony snapped. “How the hell did he even know that Spider-Man was close to me? Wasn’t he in a federal prison that also nobody knew about? Hell, I couldn’t even figure out where he was. He had no access to news, so how did he know? HOW THE HELL DID HE KNOW?!” Tony yelled as he got up and threw his chair across the room. Rhodey closed his eyes.

“Tony-“ Rhodey tried.

“No! Okay? No! He wasn’t supposed to get out! He tried to fucking kill a 17 year old! He tried to kill Peter! My Peter! Rhodey, I am sick in tired of the people I love becoming a target!” Tony was now crying. May was also crying, probably because of how out of control Tony was being. Tony’s breathing started to become erratic and he fell to the ground and clutched his heart. Rhodey immediately got up and knelt down next to him. 

“Hey, hey it’s okay. You are okay, Tony. Come on, steady your breathing. Breath in, breath out.”

“I can’t- I can’t breathe!” Tony clutched onto Rhodey’s shirt and grabbed a fistful of the shirt’s fabric. May got up and bent down to sit on the floor next to Tony.

_Shit, He was having a Panic Attack._

“Yes you can. Tony, it’s okay. Peter is okay. He’s alive. Everyone is alive. Hammer is gone. My baby’s going to be okay.” May reassured him. At first I was wondering how she went from being freaked out to super calm and soothing, then I remembered she was a nurse. This was her job. 

I looked over to Wanda who had her hand covering her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Sam was rubbing her back, trying to soothe her. She was scared. The most scared I’ve ever seen her. 

Also, this was the first time I’ve witnessed Tony having a full on panic attack. I heard they started after what happened in New York, but I didn’t know they got this bad. 

Tony stared into May’s eyes as he was instructed and breathed with her. He slowly started to calm down and when it was over, May pulled him into a hug, which he hesitantly accepted. 

She must have been a calming presence, since she is the closest thing Tony can get to Peter right now. 

I started to do the breathing exercise with them, trying to gain some control of my racing heart. 

Peter was going to be okay. So why did I still feel so anxious? 

Pepper walked in and bent down to help Tony up. Rhodes must have texted her or something. 

“Come on, Tony.” Pepper tried.

“I cant leave him, Pepper.”

“Morgan needs you right now. She may be five, but she is not stupid. After all, she does have Stark’s genes.” Tony gave her a small smile at that. “Peter would not want you sitting around, blaming yourself.” 

“I have to be here when he wakes up.” He shook his head. 

“You will be the first person I notify.” May said. “Go home. Spend time with your family. Go eat and take a shower at least.”

Tony nodded in agreement.

Tony looked at me and motioned for me to follow, “You too.” 

Now it was my turn to argue. 

I furrowed my eyebrows, “No I’m not leaving.” 

Pepper gave me a stern look, “Harley.” I felt the anger bubble up and the dam broke.

“NO! Ok! You don’t understand. It wasn’t Tony’s fault. It was mine! I got in a fight with Peter so he didn’t show up to work.” I let out a little sob, “Oh, God. It’s my fault. He almost died because of me.” I felt an overwhelming wave of guilt crashed down on me. 

“Harley. We can’t blame ourselves. It doesn’t do anything but hurt us. It doesn’t help anything.” Sam explained. 

“Also, you have school tomorrow.” Tony explained, looking exhausted. Sam turned his head and gave him a look. 

I scoffed, “School? You can’t be serious!”

“Yeah I am. If Peter can go to school a day after having a building dropped on him, you can go to school.” Tony argued. 

“Wait, what?” May demanded.

Tony shook his head as if it wasn’t that big a deal, “He was fine. It was before you knew about him.” 

“Tony—“ I tried and he gave me a warning look and I just rolled my eyes and stomped my way out of the room, pushing my way pasted my two guardians. I continued down to the elevator and told FRIDAY I was going down. 

“Where are you going?” Pepper sternly demanded.

“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna get myself killed. I’ll be back by 8:00.” I explained, irritated. 

“No, Harley.” Tony and Pepper tried to get to the elevator before it closed. They didn’t get to it in time. I half expected Tony to order FRIDAY to bring me back up, but he didn’t. I suddenly felt bad. He is dealing with the same thing I’m dealing with. But I wasn’t about to go back up. I went through the back and made my way to Queens. The sun was setting and I know walking alone in Queens was dangerous, but I couldn’t care less. 

I made my way to the alleyway Spider-Man saved me in. I made my way up the fire escape to the roof of the building we had our first “date” on. I sat on the edge and let my feet dangle down. I closed my eyes, letting the wind blow against my face. I smiled as I opened my eyes to see the sunset that looked very familiar to the one we watched together. I just sat there, watching the sun go down and the sky get enveloped in darkness. It was beautiful and calm. I thought back to everything Spider-Man and I talked about and laughed at myself. All the signs were there to point to Peter.

His father’s name was Richard. Both his parents were gone. He was young. Had the same order from Delmars as Peter. Same with coffee. His voice, was so familiar. The lips—made me laugh. Those lips made me so curious because they looked so familiar. Everyone always complained about how Peter always would run away during field trips. Ned and MJ were always super suspicious... Peter shared the same energy towards people as Spider-Man. Spiderman was there when Peter’s uncle died. It was back when Peter first realized he had powers. He didn’t know what to do. He blames himself. 

And it was kind of ironic to think back to him talking bad about Spider-Man. He— Peter doesn’t think he is a hero. And that is what makes him even more of a hero in my opinion. Makes him even better and greater than I ever could have imagined. 

I started to smile. I couldn’t stop. I had a crush on a fucking hero. A hero that was super nerdy and such a dork. A hero that made sure everyone thought he was just a clumsy weirdo. A hero that genuinely cares and isn’t super arrogant like all the other ones I know. A hero that has had so much trauma in his life, yet still he goes out of his way to help and save others. Not to mention how hot he is.

I thought about it for a second and realized I wasn’t describing Spider-Man. I was describing Peter. Peter is a hero. Spider-Man is the disguise, but not the hero. Peter, the stunningly cute guy behind the mask is the hero. 

He is my hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry for all the angst. Plz forgive me! 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed!  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy!

  
**Harley’s POV**

I didn’t sleep at all that night. I was too busy crying and guilt ridden and thinking the worse. I got dressed about thirty minutes before I usually do so I could go see Peter before going to school. Hopefully he was being allowed visitors now.

I made my way to the medbay, luckily avoiding Tony. To say I was pissed with him would have been an understatement. I walked through the glass doors to come face to face with Dr. Cho. 

“Harley.” She looked at me with a sympathetic frown. Somebody told her I shouldn’t see him.

“Dr. Cho, I need to see him. Just for a minute. Please.” I was on the verge of tears again, but I pushed them away. I had to be strong. 

“I’m okay with it. Let him through.” May said from behind her. She looked horrible. Her eyes were swollen as well as she had bags under her eyes. She looked pale and exhausted. Her hair was all messy and frizzy. But I couldn’t have looked that far off. I then heard my stomach growl. _Oh, yeah I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday_. 

Dr. Cho looked at me hesitantly before letting me through. I slowly made my way toward May and she motioned for me to go in. As soon as I stepped through the door, I regretted it. I felt like running out. Nausea hit me as I looked at the pale fragile figure in front of me. I could see his chest slowly going up and down, as he had a tube in his nostrils. He had multiple things connected to him and he looked not far from dead.

“Has— has he woke up at all?” I asked, swallowing hard. When she didn’t answer, I peeled my eyes off of Peter to look at her standing in the doorframe. I could see her through the water invading my eyes. “Well?” 

She opened her mouth then closed it. She looked like she was having a war within herself to tell me something.

“What is it, May?” I asked her in a broken voice, trying to keep the tears at bay.

“He woke up for a second, but then went under again.” She let a tear fall as she took in a deep breath, “He croaked out your name before falling unconscious again.” 

I stumbled back as I looked back at him then back at her, “Are- are you sure? Maybe he said hungry or something.” I shook my head. 

_Is he seriously thinking about me while he is half dead?_

May let out a quiet sob, “He said your name, Harley.” 

I looked at the ground for a few seconds before rushing out of the room, accidentally pushing May. I ran to the bathroom at the end of the hallway and placed both of my hands on the sink counter, holding on for dear life, knowing my legs would give up on me if I didn’t.

Why did he say _my_ name? I have hurt him so many times since I came here three months ago. Why? He should hate me. _Why doesn’t he hate me?_

Next thing I know, I was staring at a bloodied, shattered mirror. I looked down at my balled up fists to see fresh blood oozing from them. Blood. Lots of blood. Peter’s blood. I stumbled onto the wall behind me and let out a shrieking scream. 

_Why him? Why did he have to get hurt? Why did I fall for him?_

So many questions were running through my head. I can’t silence my brain. It’s running on its own.

My scream turns into a wrenching sob as I fell to the ground. I couldn’t look at the mirror. I couldn’t look at my hands. I felt numb.

I barely register the door bursting open as I continued to stare at the part of the floor that wasn’t covered in my blood. 

Someone bends down beside me and takes my face in both their hands, forcing me to look at him. It was Sam. 

“Go get a kit!” Sam’s voice sounds echoed and far away. I look over to the door to see Steve running out. Dr. Cho and Dr. Banner are right outside the door with a look of worry and fear on their faces. 

“Hey. Hey, can you hear me Harley?” This time, Sam’s voice doesn’t seem so far away and I start to feel a harsh sting in both of my hands. I stare into his eyes that are also filled with worry and fear. 

“Yeah. I’m okay.” I lied.

He shook his head, “No you aren’t. Punching a mirror and then looking out into space is not the definition of okay. You are hurting. That’s understandable. But Peter’s blood transfusion was successful. He is going to be okay.” 

“Yeah. And what about the next time?” I can feel my eyes flooding with tears, but I don’t let them drop. 

He opens his mouth, but then closed it. Before he could say anything, Steve came back with the kit. 

Dr. Banner came into the bathroom and motioned for them to leave. They gave me a few more worried glances before leaving.

“I’ve got to pull out the glass shards that are embedded in your skin. It’s gonna be painful, okay?” He explained in an understanding voice. I nodded. Before he could get started, I heard Pepper in the hallway asking where I was and a few seconds later, she made her way in. 

Her eyes first landed on my hands and then she looked at the shattered mirror that was stained red. She looked at me speechless, with worry evident in her eyes. She didn’t ask why I did this, thank God, but she asked the other dreadful question I didn’t want to answer. 

“Are you okay?” 

I looked at her for a solid second before letting a tear fall down my cheek. I scoffed and shook my head, “No, no I’m not. May just told me that Peter did wake up. He said my name and then fell unconscious. So yeah, I’m not okay.” I hissed when Dr. Banner pulled out a pretty big shard. He muttered a sorry but then continued.

Pepper looked at me with pity, “I’m sorry, Harley. We— we shouldn’t have demanded you go to school today. That was... hypocritical to say the least. How about uh, you babysit Morgan today with Wanda?” 

I grimaced as another shard was taken out but then nodded, “Thank you, Pepper.” I sniffled a little before Dr. Banner started to wrap my hands up. “Where is Tony?” 

“He just went into the room with Peter. I discussed with him last night that you shouldn’t be being forced to go to school.” Her eyes drifted to the mirror again, “Turns out I was right.”

“I don’t know what happened. I just—“ I swallowed hard, “I can’t lose him.” 

“I know.” Pepper said with sympathy.

“No, no you don’t understand! You couldn’t possibly understand!” My sobs became uncontrollable and Dr. Banner began to comfort me.

“Oh.” Realization must have hit her. I looked up at her and saw behind her Wanda. All of them were smiling.

_Shit._

When Dr. Banner finished the wrap, I let out a deep breath. I stood up and faced Pepper. I threw my arms around her and hugged her. “Thank you.” I whispered. 

I walked out of the bathroom, nudging Wanda with my elbow as she gave me a shit eating grin. “I knew it!” She said and I glared at her before I got serious. 

“If he wakes up, don’t tell him, okay?” I said, looking at Wanda. She gave me a confused look. 

“What?” 

“I- um,” I shook my head, “I know he doesn’t feel the same way.” I didn’t give her a chance to argue with me. I just left to go upstairs. 

My phone buzzed so I checked it.

**The Nerds**

MJ: I didn’t want to bother you last night and I wasn’t sure if I should even ask you this since you guys are not on speaking terms but Is he okay?

Harls: He is alive. I can’t keep talking about this so please don’t make me.

Ned: That’s good to know... are you okay?

Harls: No

I put away my phone and tried to slow my rapid heartbeating before I entered the penthouse. As soon as I walked in, Morgan was running towards me and hugged my legs. Happy stood up from the couch and gave me a small smile. 

“Where is Petey?” Morgan asked, looking up at me so innocently. 

“He is... uh, he’s sick. But he’ll feel better probably in a few weeks.” I explained.

“A few weeks? Is he hurt?” Her eyes widened in fear.

“Um... just sick. But since he is Spider-Man, his sickness is different than ours.” I smiled. And then she smiled.

“He told you?” She asked. I shook my head and told her I found out. 

“I’m going to walk Happy out, okay?” I said and she nodded. 

Happy and I slowly walked to the elevator. 

“So how is he?” Happy asked me. I bit my lip and made sure Morgan wasn’t listening in. 

“He looks so bad Happy.” I said shaking. He put his hand on my shoulder. He looked down at my hands.

“What happened?” 

“I uh, got in a fight with a mirror.” I nodded to myself. 

“He’s going to be okay. Trust me, I’ve seen him go through way worse.” Happy scoffed, “He got hit by a train in Europe and ended up in a Holland Jail cell.” I widened my eyes and he just waved it off like it was nothing. “He will be okay.” 

I nodded and suddenly I felt really exhausted and dizzy. I walked him out and then Wanda came up. Wanda made her way to Morgan and I did too before I had to grab on to something so I wouldn’t fall.

“Are you okay?” She asked and then gasped. She ran to the kitchen and came back with a bag of chips, “Eat, now.” 

“Hey! You aren’t supposed to go through my mind!” 

“I didn’t. It’s pretty obvious you haven’t eaten in a while.” She said, her voice wavering. I gave her a stern look and she rolled her eyes, “Yeah, okay I read your mind.”

I opened the bag of chips and slowly put a potato chip in my mouth. I crunched down on it, cringing as I chewed and it went down my dry throat. The feeling of something in my stomach was weird. I was hungry, but also not hungry at the same time. I looked up to see Wanda holding out a water bottle for me to take. _Not reading my mind, my ass._

I took it and slowly opened it, then within a few seconds, I realized I was already halfway done with it. A few seconds after, my stomach felt weird, with the one chewed up chip and half of a cold bottle of water in it. When Wanda became more focused on Morgan, I threw the rest of the chips away, although I finished the rest of the water. I was _really_ thirsty. 

After a few minutes, I felt a little bit better. Not perfect, but certainly not horrible. I walked over to join Morgan and Wanda when FRIDAY’s voice filled the room.

“Peter is awake and is calling for Harley...” She paused for a second, “He won’t talk to anyone else.”

I looked over at Wanda and she nodded her head for me to go. I rushed a little to quickly to the elevator. 

I made my way to Peter’s room to see May and Tony standing outside of it. Dr. Cho was also there. I put my hand on the doorknob to go in, but Dr. Cho put a delicate hand on my arm. 

“Try your best not to bring up the incident unless he brings it up.” She said. I turned to her and clenched my jaw.

“Why does he want me? The last time I talked to him, I was horrible to him.” I whispered. 

She shrugged and gave me a sympathetic smile.

I took a deep breath and opened the door, closing it behind me. I looked over to see Peter making an attempt to smile but then winced. He was still pale, but he had a little bit of color back. I pulled up a chair slowly and sat down. 

He immediately looked down to see my hands. His eyes widened. 

“W-What happened?” He was able to croak out in a whisper. I waved it off and told him it was nothing.

“Are, uh, are you... okay?” I said, trying to figure out what to say. 

He shrugged, “I um, I can’t feel my legs. And uh, my um wound hasn’t healed, which is weird. I uh, I can’t feel my legs... oh wait, did I already say that?” He let out a cough. He then proceeded to look into my eyes for the first time since I came in, “I um... I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me. Um... but I uh, I ... I _needed_ to see you.” He said, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. I took his hand in my bandages one.

“No, I- I wanted to see you.” I said, giving him a small smile. He nodded, allowing a tear to fall.

“I uh, I can’t— my senses. My wounds should have healed already. Dr. Cho said he sprayed Ethyl Chloride in my face. It’s a— it’s a uh, a pesticide that uh... It dulled my reflexes and my senses. It’s slowing my healing rate. I didn’t even know that the door was about to open when you came in.” He scoffed as he said the last part. He paused for a second, “I’m sorry, Harley. I- I didn’t mean to hurt you. I- I wanted to tell you but-“

“Hey, it’s okay. You need to focus on getting better, okay?”

“When I woke up, all I could think about was you.” He scoffed, “When I was bleeding out, all I could think about was... was how-“ He swallowed hard, “Was how I was going to die and you were going to hate me.” 

I squeezed his hand probably a little too hard. I could feel the water building in my eyes as I shook my head violently, “I could never hate you.” _I love you._

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I’m so sorry I couldn’t—“ 

“No, Peter. Stop it, okay? I get why you didn’t tell me. You didn’t even tell Ned. You were trying to protect me, Peter.” I let a tear fall down. “You- uh, you scared me back there. I uh, I saw them rolling you in. I- I saw him...” _I saw him stab you._

He bit his lip, “I should have told you.” 

“No. I should have not made you think that. It was your secret, Peter.” I reassured him. We sat in silence for a couple a minutes.

“I um, I’m scared. I can’t feel anything below my waist, Harley. What if I-“

“No. don’t think like that, okay? Once the drug leaves your system you are going to be fine.” I said. He looked down at our hands and then immediately looked back up at me.

“I um... I’m sorry for leaving you. That night. I should have—“

“Peter. You went to save Tony. You went to go save someone’s life. I shouldn’t have still been angry with you after I found out that you left to go be a hero.” He winced at the word hero. I gave a quick squeeze to his hand. “You are a hero, Peter. You do know that, don’t you?” 

He started to nod a little too quickly, “Yeah, yeah I know.”

I wanted to ask him why he wanted to see me first. I wanted to ask him so bad, but I already knew why. It was because he felt guilty and it is just in his nature to help and care for others. 

“You should uh, talk to your Aunt. She uh, she was really scared.” I said as I stood up. I couldn’t stay in here any longer. Not without confessing my unrequited love for him. Not without wanting to lean over and kiss those soft pink lips. Not without crying. 

He still had a grip on my hand as I stood up. I looked down at it before I pulled away. I gave him a soft smile, “Get some rest, okay?” He smiled and nodded. I opened the door and gave him one last look before going out, ignoring everyone’s stares and their questions. I made my way to the elevator and as soon as it started moving, I stopped it in between floors. I slowly fell to the ground and let the tears fall. 

_How did Peter Parker cause me to fall so low?_

“Are you okay, Harley? Do I need to notify Mr. Stark?” FRIDAY asked. I took my shaky hands and smoothed down my hair. 

“I’m fine, FRIDAY. Could you uh, start the elevator?” I asked.

“Of course, Harley.”

I stood up, wiping away my tears, getting ready to walk through the penthouse and play with Morgan. 

He’s okay.

_He’s alive._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry it’s a little late. I gave blood yesterday and am still a little out of it. Hopefully you guys enjoyed!  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated. ;)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

  
**Peter’s POV**

Aunt May and Dr. Cho made me see a therapist today. They said it is a therapist that I can talk to about anything, either as Peter or Spider-Man. It is Tony’s therapist. I didn’t tell Harley about it when he came to see me. I was going to, but then he left abruptly.

I argued with them for a couple minutes, until I couldn’t anymore. Talking passionately for more than a minute is exhausting. 

The therapist walked in and closed the door behind her, I guess as a show of respect to a client’s confidentiality. She had long, dark brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and had round glasses on. She couldn’t have been older than 40.

She pulled up a chair to my bed and gave me a smile, “Hello, Peter. My name is Dr. Brown, but you can call me Tina. Today, I would just like to get to know you, if that’s okay. I can even tell you a bit about me if you would like.”

I bit my lip and nodded. “Okay.” I said, my voice coming out coarse. 

“Okay, so I will go first. My name is Tina Brown and I have a 7 year old daughter. I am 37 years old. I have a P.H.D in the field of Psychology, which I have had for about 8 years. I grew up in Queens until the age of 12, and then my family and I moved to Brooklyn. I am a certified Psychiatrist and am here for you anytime you need me.” She scribbled something down on her notepad and ripped a piece of paper up. She gave me it, showing it was her number. “Anytime you need me Peter, I will be there.” She gave me a genuine smile. “How about you, Peter? Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?”

I thought about it for a moment, “Um, well uh... My name is Peter Parker. I’m a junior in high school and uh, live with my Aunt May. My uh, parents died when I was young and my uncle...” I shook my head, “I uh, I’m...” I looked up at her and then back at my hands, “Two years ago I got bit by a radioactive spider that should have killed me, but didn’t. Instead it uh, it gave me... powers. I uh, guess could be considered a hero?” I scoffed at myself for saying that last part. I thought back to this morning, when Harley tried to assure me I was a hero. 

She looked at me for a hard moment, “You don't believe you are a hero that saves people?”

I clenched my jaw, “I— I don’t know. I mean, yeah I have saved a few people but... but at what cost?” 

“What does that mean, Peter?” She asked with an unreadable look on her face. 

I gave her a long stare for a moment before I tried changing the subject. “So you were Tony’s therapist?”

She noticed I changed the subject, but didn’t seem to mind, “I still am. He has come a far way since the alien attack in New York.” She smiled, “He talks about you all the time in our sessions.”

“Oh.”

“Do you have anything you want to get off your chest? Maybe talk about how you are feeling? Or what you aren’t feeling?” 

“I— I think I’m good.” I snapped. I know it was rude, but I don’t need this. I’m fine! I can take care of myself. I doubt this lady even wants to be here, dealing with a whiny 17 year old. I’m fucking Spider-Man for crying out loud! I shouldn’t be this weak. 

“You seem to be thinking about something, Peter. Are you sure you don’t have anything to talk about? You know, it’s my job to read human behavior.” She stares at me for a second, “Have you been sleeping well?” 

“I’ve been sleeping fine.” I lied a little too quickly. To be honest, I would want nothing more than to lay my head on my pillow and welcome the sleep. 

“Okay. Well, if you need to talk to me, about anything, I mean anything, you call me, okay? Peter, just so you know, people do care. And you do deserve the best.” She smiled before standing up to walk out.

As soon as her hand touched the doorknob, my heart started racing.

“I can’t sleep.” I blurted our. She turned to face me, expecting more. “I— no matter how hard I try, I—“ I let out a bitter laugh, letting a tear fall in the process, “God, I’m pathetic.” 

She walked a little too quickly back to her chair, flashing her sympathetic eyes, “No, Peter. You aren’t... Why can’t you sleep?” 

“Nightmares.” I croaked out.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked and I nodded eagerly. “Okay.” As soon as she said that I shook my head.

“I— I don’t think I can.” I stuttered out.

“Did they start after Thanos?” I shook my head. She scribbled something on her pad.

“Before.” I swallowed hard. “Toomes.” I gasped as I felt the building crushing me all over again. I shut my eyes, feeling the crushing weight of the building on me. His laugh so close, yet so far. I was trying to breathe, gasping for air, not getting any.

“Hey, hey, Peter. I need you to open your eyes okay? Peter!” I heard in the echoey distance. I felt a hand touch mine and I jolted back to reality. It felt _so real_. I felt a tear fall from my face. “Breathe, Peter. You are okay. You are not there. You are here, with me. You are safe.” 

“What the fuck was that?!” I shrieked. I tried moving, but I couldn’t. Oh, right. I’m fucking paralyzed from the waist down. _Probably will be forever._

“It was a flashback, Peter. But you’re safe.” 

“Flashback?!” My eyes widened as I tried to steady my breathing.

“It’s okay Peter.” 

“No it isn’t! I— that... that wasn’t a dream! That—“ I gasped for air. 

“Peter. It’s okay.” She took my hand in hers. “I think that is enough for today. I will come see you in a week. I hope to see you on your feet by then.” She smiled before giving me one last squeeze. She closed the door on her way out.

Leaving me with my thoughts.

**Tony’s POV**

May and I sat outside of his room, waiting for Tina to come out. She was in there for a good 10 minutes before she came out. I immediately stood up, May following close behind. 

She looked up at us with a face that pretty much said it was destined to be bad news. 

“So?” I asked, hoping, _praying_ , it wasn’t bad news. 

“I’m sorry, Tony. There is clear evidence of...” She paused, “Mrs. Parker, I am prescribing him a three month prescription of Paroxetine.”

“That’s an antidepressant.” I budged in, “You think he’s depressed?”

“Not as much depressed as having anxiety. He um, he had a flashback in there, back to uh, he said, Toomes? Does that word mean anything to you guys?” I could feel all my blood drain from my face. 

Toomes? Flashbacks?

“Flashbacks?” May asked, questioning it for me.

“There are serious signs that Peter has a form of mild PTSD. He said he has pretty bad nightmares, although this was the first time he seemed to have a flashback. Do you know by any chance what he was flashing back to?” She turned to me. I glanced at May real quick before taking in a deep breath. 

“Adrian Toomes. He uh, was Peter’s first big bad guy. He told me about what happened later after Toomes was in Prison, but, Times he uh, he dropped a building on Peter.” I whispered the last bit, but May let out a tiny gasp.

“He never told me that.” A tear fell down her cheek. 

Tina nodded before clenching her jaw, “I’ll be back in a week, um, I will discuss his medicine with Dr. Cho.

She gave me a small pat on my shoulder before leaving. I pulled May into a hug. I looked through the window to see Peter just staring at the white floor. 

I hope he could pull through. 

If anyone could, it would be him.

  
1 day later  
**Hartley’s POV**

It’s Friday. I decided it would be better to go back to school today. After all, people would start wondering why I have been not going. Although, Flash already knows that I know Spider-Man. So that is not a conversation I am looking forward to. 

I walked into the school, headed straight for my locker. I looked up at the TV to see a picture of Spider-Man next to a gravestone and a question mark. I felt like tracking down Betty and slapping her across the face. How dare she? How dare anyone? They don’t know—well technically they do— Spider-Man. I took my books out and then slammed my locker door to come face to face with Flash.

“Is Spider-Man okay?” He asked, worry evident in his facial features. I balled up my fists giving him the most deadliest look I could make. 

“Get the fuck out of my face, now, _Eugene_.” I felt my eyes burning, clearly from the tears I was trying to keep at bay. Why was I so close to crying? I knew he was okay. Well, as close to okay as he could get. 

Flash’s face went from concern to fear within a second. He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry man. I— I didn’t mean anything by—“

“Why are you still next to me?” I interrupted him, anger seeping throughout my body.

Maybe it was because I know how horrible he treats Spider-Man. It’s kind of ironic. He treats Peter like shit without even knowing who he actually is. If it wasn’t for Peter, I would punch this smug little prick. But Peter wouldn’t. So I won’t. 

He quickly scattered away from me. I looked to the other side of the hall to see MJ looking at me but then immediately looked back at her book. She was scared. Probably of me.

I walked up to her and then she hesitantly looked up at me.

I gave her a soft smile, “I’m not mad at you, just so you know. I um, I just can’t with Flash.” I chuckled, which earned me a smile from her. “He is awake. But um... he’s— he’s paralyzed at the moment. But Dr. Cho is confident that he will heal.” She nodded, and she seemed pretty close to tears. I gave her a pat on her shoulder as Ned came over and looked at me hopefully. I nodded, “He’s okay.”

Ned let out a sigh of relief. “Are they allowing visitors?” 

“Not really but I will see what I can do.” I said.

“Then how did you get to see him?” MJ snapped but then immediately winced, “Sorry.”

“No it’s uh— it’s okay. He um— he asked for me.” I mirrored their confused glances, because I still didn’t understand why he wanted to talk to me before he talked to anyone else. He has known Ned and MJ for years and has only known me for 3 months.

I keep letting myself fantasize that maybe he wanted to see me first because there was something between us. But then I let reality drag me out and it gives me a stern talking to.

He just feels guilty. Yeah. Peter Parker. Guilty that he hurt my feelings while he is laying in a hospital bed paralyzed from the waist down. Only he is capable of caring that much for others. 

_I wonder—_

No.

“Well, um, could you tell him to give us a call?” Ned asked with a grin so big. 

“Y- yeah ok.” I nodded as the bell rang. MJ followed me to class while Ned went to his 1st class. I walked in and sat in the empty desk by the empty chair where Peter is supposed to be.

Betty turned around and frowned, “Where is Peter? Is he okay?” 

“Yeah like any of you care.” I mumbled under my breath, not looking up from the paper the teacher gave us on our way in. 

“What was that?” She had a bit of hostility in her voice. I looked up and put on an oblivious face. 

“What?” I gave an innocent little smile as she continued to just stare at me.

“Is he sick? He said he would help me this week by making decorations. I need to know if he will be able to come to my house tomorrow.” 

_Her house?_ I felt the jealousy rising in me but I was able to force it down.

I mean, she is nicer than most girls at this school. They are also both racing to be valedictorian. Well, not so much Peter because he is super humble but still.

“Oh, um. Y-yeah he is like super sick. Uh he has... Strep Throat!” I lied. I could see out the corner of my eye, Flash’s reaction. He pursed his lips and his eyebrows were scrunched together. I ignored it. Betty turned to MJ and MJ nodded, as if Betty didn’t just believe what I said. How come they all believe Peter’s lies with no problem? He is like the worse liar I know!

The teacher walked in and looked at me weirdly. 

“What?” I asked, probably a little too harshly.

“Peter is out with Chicken Pox. Mr. Stark called yesterday and said you were staying home because you felt under the weather.”

“Yeah, but I got checked. Y’know, I have my own personal doctor 5 floors under me.” I let out a nervous chuckle.

“Wait, who called to say Peter had Chicken Pox?” Berry asked and my eyes widened. 

“His aunt, Why?” The teacher asked clearly confused. I glanced over to Flash who had his arms crossed, staring at me with disbelief. 

“You said he had Strep Throat.” Betty turned and looked confused. 

“Well, he uh— he said his throat was all sore and he had a fever so I uh, I, I thought it was Strep Throat.” I stuttered and I knew I was all over the place. 

“But you just said you got tested for Chicken Pox.” Flash replied. The teacher looked utterly confused.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s sick, okay? Let’s get started with class.” I snapped.

After multiple run ins with Betty and Flash giving me suspicious looks, the day was finally over. I stopped by Delmars to get some sandwiches and headed home. 

I walked up to the medbay to see Tony sitting with Peter, who was in a wheelchair, by the window. May was probably at work, since she wanted to stay with Peter at night (probably because she felt guilty the incident happened at night.) 

I smiled and Tony took that as his cue to leave. He gave me a little smirk and wave out of site from Peter. I rolled my eyes playfully and as Tony left, I let my smile return. As the door closed, a gust of wind went into the direction of Peter.

Peter immediately turned around eyes widened. “Is that Delmars?!” He asked midturn. 

I smirked, “How do you smell sandwiches from there?” 

“The power of the spider.” He showed his teeth as he smiled. He showed me his bare hands as he did the motion a baby would to his mother to get candy. It was cute though, so I obliged.

As soon as I was close enough, he snatched the bag and took the sandwich out of the bag. He crumpled up the bag and without looking, made it into the trash can that was about 10 feet away. _He will never cease to amaze me._

He took a bite and moaned. Literally moaned. And I would be lying if I said that sound did not make me weak to my knees.

“God, you have no idea how much I have missed this.” He interrupted my thoughts.

“It’s been two days.” I scoffed. He looked at me as if I had offended him.

“I have been eating jello and pudding cups for the past two days. I needed some real food.” He said. I chuckled. 

“So, your senses are back.” I stated the obvious.

He nodded eagerly, “And I have gained feeling back in my legs. Of course, Dr. Cho won’t allow me to start walking since my TH4 vertebrae had a minor crack but my TH7 was shattered. She said it should completely heal by tomorrow so I can try walking then.”

I looked at him in amazement. “Y’know, most people if they shattered those vertebrae, it would leave them paraplegic.” Dr. Cho said from behind me. 

I turned around, “For life?” She nodded. 

“You are so lucky you pissed off that spider.” I frowned and he giggled. 

“I would like to think I charmed it.” He smirked. _What I would do to just kiss him right then and there. Then we would see who was all smug._

He took another bite from his sandwich as Dr. Cho continued down the hall. 

“How was school?” He asked me.

“Oh nothing too big. Just Betty and Flash catching me in a lie making us both suspicious.” He furrowed his eyebrows as I said that. “I told them you had Strep Throat, but your Aunt called and told them you had Chicken Pox.”

He just sat there for a second with a frown.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Just trying to figure out what clever name Flash is going to call me when I get back.” He chuckled. I gave him a concerned look, but he brushed it off. 

He gasped, “As soon as I am up and running again, I need to help Betty. I promised her I would help with homecoming.” I just laughed. He looked at me confused.

“Only you could care about helping someone with something as trivial as homecoming while you are laying in the hospital.” I said in a bit of an annoyed voice.

Not annoyed at him, but annoyed with how much this human could care for others. Annoyingly in love with him, I suppose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just took the ACT. Have a bad headache. Running on 5 hours of sleep. The perks of being a teenager. Hope you enjoyed.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated;)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. I’ve been pretty busy lately. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!

  
**Harley’s POV**

I woke up pretty late but decided to go see Peter in my pjs. I mean; it was a Saturday anyways. 

I walked into the room to see him standing, forcing one door in front of the other, wincing each time he did, but Rhodey was right next to him the entire way. I smiled as I leaned against the door frame. He was so focused on walking, he didn’t even notice I was there.

His leg gave out but he caught himself. Rhodes has a hand on his shoulder ready to catch him when he needed to. 

“I’m fine.” He whispered. He asked for his wheelchair, pain written all over his face. 

As soon as he got situated in his wheelchair, he looked up to see me just standing there, in sweatpants and an undershirt.

“How long have you been there?” Peter exclaimed. 

“Not that long. That’s pretty impressive though, walking after shattering your spine just 3 days ago.” 

“Yeah, well I am still in a hell of a lot of pain.” He grimaced as he then smiled up at Rhodey, thanking him. Rhodey then left us to talk alone.

“Where is May?” I asked.

“She is at work.” He said. I nodded. 

“Oh, um... Did you ever call MJ and Ned?” 

“Yes. Uh, they expressed how stupid I was to go up against Tony’s arch rival.” He joked and I gave him a smile. I couldn’t help but keep glancing down at his legs every once in a while. “It doesn’t hurt that bad, Harley.” He explained, trying to ease my concern. 

“I like your outfit.” He smirked and I could feel my face getting red. _Since when did I start blushing because of Peter?_

“I’m gonna go get changed.” I said, a little too quickly as I rushed out of the room.

I went up to my room and grabbed a pair of nice jeans and a black shirt. I put on my favorite pair of converse and headed back down to the med bay. 

I walked in on Tony and Peter laughing together, probably at a stupid pub one of them made. I allowed myself to stare at Peter’s beautiful face. The light from outside hitting his face perfectly, his dimples very defined as he had the perfect smile on his face. His hair was pretty wild, but to me it made him look even more naturally perfect. 

“Earth to Harley.” Peter waved his hand in front of his own face trying to bring me back. I glanced at Tony who had a knowingly smirk plastered on. I looked back at Peter who expressed concern.

“Sorry, I just uh, got lost in my own thoughts I guess.” I lied, I was lost in _him_. He nodded anyways and proceeded to talk to Tony about some geeky stuff that I didn’t even understand. “Uh, I’m gonna go get some coffee. You want your regular?” I asked and he smiled.

“You remembered it?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. I nodded nonchalantly, acting like it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“I have a good memory. Also, you and Spider-Man having the same coffee order did strike me as odd.” I gave him a small smile and he returned it. I refused to look at Tony because I knew he would have that smug shit eating grin on his face. 

I proceeded to walk out and go get the coffee. When I finished ordering, I heard a familiar voice call out my name. I looked out to the general area where the voice was coming from to see Flash smiling at me, getting up from his seat. He was alone and it was kinda weird that he seemed less hostile. Probably because he didn’t have an audience. 

I walked over to meet him halfway and I looked around just to make sure it wasn’t a trap. My gut told me that he was being genuine. 

“Hey, man. What are you doing out in Queens? Last time I checked you lived with Stark. That’s like a 20 minute drive.” He said. There was no hostility in his voice or anything. He seemed genuinely interested. 

“Uh, this is my favorite place to get coffee.” I said, which technically wasn’t a lie considering this was one of the only places I ever got coffee from.

“Huh, it’s Peter’s too.” He said, immediately afterwards flinching. I thought he hated Peter. _Why would he know where he likes to go?_

“It’s not your favorite place?” I asked, considering that that would have been a better answer for him to use. 

“Um, it’s a nice place to study and get coffee. So I guess so.” He replied, fidgeting with his hands. He seemed... off. “So uh, how’s Peter doing?” 

“He is doing better.”

“Will he back by Monday?” He asked and I gave him a suspicious look.

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since the other day.” I lied.

“So who else did you order for? That order was pretty specific.” He said and closed his eyes for a good second.

My eyes widened. He knew Peter’s order? _What the actual fuck?_

I could feel my jealousy rising but I swallowed it, “You know Peter’s order?” 

“I- I mean he s-sometimes comes here to study so our p-paths would collide.” He faltered. Then finally, the barista called out my order.

“Okay... well, I will see you at school Monday.” I said, turning around, my face plastered with confusion. I took the drinks and headed out, not sparing another look at Flash.

That was weird.

When I handed the coffee to Peter, his eyes lit up. I smirked at him and he playfully hit me.

“You try almost dying and realizing that you might never taste the goodness of coffee.” He said with a little smile on his face.

I rolled my eyes, “Yes, because I am sure that coffee was at the forefront of your mind while you were bleeding out.” I winced at my own viciousness towards his simple joke.

He scrunched his eyebrows again and rested his hand on my arm. Somehow, just that little gesture calmed me so quickly.

“I’m sorry that was insensitive of me.” He said and I quickly shook my head and took his hand in mine.

“No. No. It wasn’t. If anything that was insensitive of me. You should be able to process your experience in whatever way you want...” I took in a deep breath, “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you thinking of when you realized what had happened?” 

“You.” He said without missing a beat. He quickly averted his eyes from me and onto the floor, his cheeks becoming red.

I kept replaying that one word in my head.

_You_.

_Me. He was thinking of me_.

I opened my mouth but no words would come out until finally they did.

“Oh.” Was all I could say. “You, uh, you felt guilty.” I said finally after a few seconds of awkward silence. It was the only plausible explanation, right?

_Right_?

His hand squeezed mine tighter. He slowly shook his head. He looked up at me with watery eyes. He shrugged, “I was thinking about how betrayed you felt. And—“ he swallowed hard and then violently shook his head. 

“And what?” I asked. 

“Nothing. I just uh, I... for a second I thought maybe I deserved it.” His voice cracked as a tear fell. I lifted his head up by his chin and wiped away the tear. I looked straight into those beautiful chocolate eyes. 

“You didn’t deserve anything that happened, you hear me. Why— why would... How could you think that?” I glanced down at his lips but then immediately mentally cursed myself. He looked at me with confusion evident in his eyes. _He caught it too._

I opened but then closed my mouth. I broke eye contact and let out a forced chuckle but then returned to seriousness. “You deserve the world, Peter.” I whispered, not being able to look him in the eye as I gave him one last squeeze before getting up and practically running out of the room.   
  


I bumped into Wanda at the end of the hall and she looked at me like she knew exactly what just happened.

“Wanda, dammit, you aren’t supposed to read our minds!”

“I didn’t. But you freaking out just confirmed what I was thinking... you kissed him, didn’t you?” She smirked.

“No! No I didn’t! I- I thought about it but— no.” I finally took an actual breath since the first time I walked out of that room. 

“Dammit, Harley! How can you be so oblivious!” 

“What do you mean?” 

“It’s clear he likes you too. I mean, you were the first person he wanted to talk to when he woke up.” 

“So?” I could feel the hostility rising in my voice.

“So, that means he cares for you deeply.” Wanda said with a smile. 

I thought about it for a second, and maybe she was right. And even if she wasn’t, what’s the worse that could happen? (Probably Peter would never talk to me again and hate me for the rest of my life.) 

“I have to go.” I said, shaking the thought from my head.   
  


But something just kept bothering me:

“ _You_.”

  
  


A day later

**Peter’s POV**

  
I woke up and placed my feet on the cold floor. I lazily rubbed my eyes as I stood up. I took a few steps and bumped into a table that shouldn’t have been right there. I opened my eyes and realized I was not in my room. The last few days came back to me and I immediately looked down at my legs. Walking was way too easy than it should have been. I slapped myself to make sure that I was not asleep. I smiled as I took a few more steps to open the door. There was no pain, no nothing. I found Dr. Cho outside my door, about to come in, in awe of what she just witnessed. 

“Did you just...?” She asked and I just nodded. “No pain?” I nodded again, smiling. “Amazing.”

She rambled on about how fantastic and astonishing my healing process was and how she wanted me to stay another night so she could do tests but after that, I was free to go. About five minutes after I woke up, Tony and Steve and Rhodey and Sam and Wanda were in the room smiling and congratulating me for my fast recovery. 

After they left, I called May to tell her the good news. She insisted on coming, but after a good minute of arguing with her, she decided against it. 

As soon as I got off the phone, Harley appeared in my doorway. 

“So, is it true?” He smiled. To me it was kind of awkward that he didn’t even acknowledge yesterday, but if he didn’t, I wouldn’t either. Maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks on me. Then I thought back to what he said before he left:

“ _You deserve the world, Peter_.”

I shook the thought from my head as I stood up and proudly walked up to him. He was looking at me in awe, but it was different than how everyone else looked at me. There was something about it. 

“So uh, are you going back to school tomorrow?” He asked.

“Yep. I mean, I have to spend another night here, but I get to go to school tomorrow.” I said and he smiled proudly. 

“That’s really good.” He replied and I nodded. _There was the awkwardness again._

“I heard that yesterday you went to help Betty with decorations.” I said, not knowing what else to say. I felt a tinge of jealousy but it was gone as soon as I realized it. 

“Yeah. She uh, she called me to see if MJ and I would come over and help. They look really good.” He smiled. I felt my stomach flutter as he smiled. _Damn, that smile._

“That’s cool.” 

“Do you, uh...” he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “Are you going?” 

I shrugged, “I guess. MJ and Ned would probably drag me there.” I grinned. 

“Well, that’s good. I uh, I thought I would go too.” 

“Oh! I forgot to thank you for the dance lesson. You really helped me and my two left feet.” I snickered.

“You weren’t that bad.” He smiled at me, staring straight into my eyes. I broke eye contact before I had a complete heart attack. I then proceeded to focus on his; it was pretty steady and... weirdly calming.

“Whatcha doing?” He asked, realizing I was focused on his chest. 

“Oh uh, listening to your heart.” He raised an eyebrow at that, “it’s calming, okay?” I said, a little defensive. 

He held his hands up in mocking surrender. I smiled at him. 

“Well, I will pick you up tomorrow?” He asked. I nodded, smiling. He gave me one last smile before heading out. As soon as he left, I felt my heart steady out.

_God, what that guy does to me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the interaction was weird between Harley and Flash, but bear with me. I’ve got some stuff brewing in my head. Anyways I know I am dragging this out, but what can I say? I love to torture you guys. Hope you enjoyed.
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated. ;)


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy!

  
**Peter’s POV**

Aunt May dropped off some clothes and my book bag for me early this morning. It was a red and brown flannel with a tan sweater and some jeans. As I picked up my flannel, I heard a knock on the door. Knowing it was Dr.Cho, I told her to come in. 

It wasn’t Dr. Cho. It was Harley with two paper bags that smelled like glazed donuts. He immediately raised his eyebrow as he stared at my bare chest. I turned around and immediately started to fumble with the buttons as I buttoned up my shirt. 

“I uh, I thought you were Dr. Cho.” I blushed, luckily still not facing him as I threw the sweater over my head. I turned around, smoothing down the wrinkles of my sweater. I looked up and he was holding out one of the bags for me.

“It’s a donut.” He said plainly with no emotion. 

I nodded reluctantly. I pursed my lips as I sat down on the bed and took out my donut. After a long minute of silenced awkwardness, Dr. Cho walked in with a smile.

“You are officially released, Peter. I recommend not jumping right into your spidey activities, and here is a doctor’s note for you to skip out of Gym.” She handed me a paper.

I nodded and plastered on a fake smile. But she knew that I would be back out there by tomorrow. But she thought it doesn’t hurt to try.

I flung my book bag on my back and flashed Harley a smile, “You ready?” 

He scoffed, “I should be asking you that.” 

When we got outside, he opened the passenger door for me, and I stuck out my tongue at him, but got in.

“Are you sure you are ready?” He asked me and I gave him a smile. 

“Yes, it’s high school. I’ve dealt with much worse.” I explained and he shrugged as he started driving. 

When we got there, I took a deep breath and got out of the car. My heart was beating pretty fast, although I have no idea why. But once Harley was right next to me, it slowed. We walked in together and as soon as we made it to our lockers, Ned ran at me and pulled me into a hug. I let out a little laugh and he caught on. 

I was “sick” not dying. People would think it was weird that he was acting like I almost died. 

  
I walked into my first period and I noticed that Harley hadn’t left my side since we got out of the car. 

“Peter! Glad you are back! So, since you are back, I am almost done with all the decorations, but it would be a big help if you and Harley would come to my house after school and help. It should take at max 30 minutes if we all work together.” Betty said as soon as I walked in. 

“O-okay.” I replied with a smiled.   
  
“You look much better for someone who had chicken pox... or was it strep throat?” Flash said from behind me.

I turned around with a smile, “Actually I had both. Yeah, it was quite the week.” I turned back to Betty, “I’m sorry I couldn’t help over the weekend, but my doctor wanted to make sure I wasn’t contagious anymore.” 

She smiled and placed a hand on my arm, “It’s okay, Peter. I would rather you stayed home than get me infected.” 

I glanced over at Harley who had his eyes on Betty’s hand. I walked out of the touch and walked to my seat. As Harley sat down I asked him if he was okay.

“I’m fine.” He said giving me a hesitant smile. 

During gym, I gave the coach my doctors excuse and he motioned for me to go sit in the stands. On my way over, I had this itchy feeling. I looked over to the other side of the gym to see Flash looking at me suspiciously. I sat down and took out a book. 

Every once in a while I could feel Flash’s eyes on me. It was... really weird.   
  


After school, Harley and I made our way to Betty’s. 

“Hey, are you okay?” He asked me after a few minutes of silence.

”I’m fine.” I lied.

“Come on, Peter.” He glanced over my way, concern written all over his face.

“I-uh... I think Flash knows about... y’know.” I told him truthfully. 

“Hmm.”

“What?” I asked a little harsh.

“Well, for someone who supposedly hates you, he sure pays a lot of attention to you.” He said and I gave him a confused look. He continued, “The day I went to get you coffee, he was there and heard me ask for your order. He also knew that that place is your favorite coffee place.” 

“So? He’s known me for a very long time. But I keep... seeing him watch my every move.” I said. I knew what Harley was implying, but there was no way Flash liked me like that.

As Harley pulled into Betty’s driveway, we dropped the conversation. I had been to her house before, but there seemed to have a bit of work done to it. 

Harley knocked on the door and Betty answered. She smiled as soon as she saw us and welcomed us in. 

“So everything is set up in my backyard. Would you guys like some water before hand?”

“No, we are good.” Harley said as we followed Betty to her back door.

It was a really pretty backyard. In the left corner by the privacy fence, there was a little garden. She had paint buckets, mostly red and blue, and a few white structures that looked like they would be hung up in the gymnasium. But some things were just pieces of wooden planks. I looked over in one box, there was just a bunch of white yarn. 

“I know you wanted the homecoming theme to be a secret, but what is the theme exactly?” I asked, already having an idea of what it was.

“Spider-Man.” She said with a smile on her face. 

“Oh, really?” I looked over at Harley who was trying to hide a smirk, but failing miserably.

“Yeah, after this summer, it’s just... he deserves more recognition for everything he does. I mean, he has saved us so many times, Peter. The least we can do is show our appreciation.” She looked so... amazed and happy. 

“Yeah, I uh, guess so.” I said. She gave me a look but then went over to the box of yarn and started to take it out. 

“You guys can start painting. We are just doing random strokes of red and blue paint. Some can even just be splattered.” Betty said and Harley opened up one of the cans of blue. I took a can of red and picked up the paintbrush. I watched him literally just splatter paint on the structure and I copied him on my structure. 

“Betty!” Someone called from inside the house.

“I’ll be back guys.” She said as she ran inside. 

I took a step back to look at my structure to see that even when just throwing paint on something, I have no artistic talent when it comes to painting. Harley looked at mine as I looked as his masterpiece.

“How do you do it?” I asked.

“You are thinking too much into it. It looks fine. You need to just...” I felt something wet hit my face. “Let loose.” I could see the blue paint dripping down my face and sweater. I liked that sweater.

“Haha super funny.” I said as I went back to my structure. As he looked back at his, I flung the paint that was on my paintbrush onto him. He turned slowly to face me with a look of betrayal on his face. I shrugged with a smug smile on my face. 

“That’s it.” He said as he dipped his brush into the can and flung the paint at me. I screamed as I painted the front of his shirt red. He threw some red paint at me and he laughed. I threw some more at him and then he charged at me. I shrieked as we started to run in circles in Betty’s yard. As soon as he caught up with me, he grabbed me by my waist and I tripped, which caused both of us to fall. He fell on top of me and we could not control our laughter. Well, that was until we locked eye contact. His breathing seemed to get heavier, as did mine. 

We just sat there, enjoying each other’s presence. Until we heard someone clear their throat. We looked in the direction of the voice and found Betty with a smirk plastered on her face.

We immediately untangled ourselves and got up. 

“I was gone for 5 seconds.” She shook her head in jokingly disappointment.

“Sorry. But we finished.” Harley said, not skipping a beat. _Did he seriously not feel anything?_

“Thank you guys, it looks great!” Betty exclaimed. 

“Yeah, anytime!” I smiled as she led us back inside and out the front door. 

“I will make sure you guys get credit for the decorations.” She said.

“No, it’s fine.” I insisted. 

“Really? Okay.” She gave me one weird look before closing her door. 

“Wow.” Harley scoffed.

“What?” I asked.

“How are you so selfless? You won’t even take credit on something as trivial as homecoming decorations.” 

“I just don’t see the point in taking credit for something like that. She is planning on going to Yale and every small thing helps. Doing everything for a homecoming dance by herself can show dedication and hard work.” I said. I looked up to see him just staring at me. “What?”

“You never cease to amaze me Peter Parker.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry it isn’t that long. But I hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated. ;)


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry I’m late. A lot goes on in this chapter so yeah. I hope you enjoy.

  
**Flash’s POV**

Something weird is going on. And if I think about it, something weird has been going on for a couple of years now. I guess I was just so focused on resenting Peter to even notice.

I think it started back when his uncle died back in 9th grade. He just started acting... weird and suspicious. For a few weeks after his uncle’s death, he was kinda snappy, but that was understandable. But his whole demeanor changed after about a month of his uncle’s death. He started to be more like himself but also he quit band and robotics, two things he enjoyed very much. He used to put up a little resistance when I would tease him, but after whatever happened happened, he did nothing. He took it. And that made me resent him even more. And then he claimed he got an internship from the Tony Stark. Of course no one believed him until recently. 

And then sophomore year he started using his internship as an excuse for everything. And then there was the D.C. trip. I always felt something was off. He insisted he couldn’t go and then all the sudden he could. And then he disappeared. And we got stuck in that elevator and SpiderMan came to rescue us. Why was he there in D.C? That was something that bothered the entire Decathlon team. 

Now it kinda made more sense. Maybe Peter saw that we were stuck in the elevator and he called Spider-Man cause he knew him through the internship. Which we thought was a lie, but then Harley provided evidence. _But how did he get there so quickly?_

And then at Homecoming, he bailed on Liz and Spider-Man knew my name and crashed my car. And then it turned out Spider-Man defeated Liz’s father, who was a criminal. I then, again, didn’t think that much of it.

And then there was this summer. Peter, again, disappeared, but had an excuse. But it almost seemed like those monsters followed us. And Spider-Man was also everywhere we went. I thought back to it probably just being Peter who called him. But then there was that dude with the jet that said Spider-Man told him to get _us_ to safety because those drone things were coming after us. 

I then had the idea that maybe Spider-Man went to school where we did. And me being my nosy self, decided to start keeping tabs on Peter, because something was up. Of course, I still didn’t believe he was an intern for Stark. But there was something that connected Peter to all of this. 

But then, there was the fight that happened at the school with Spider-Man and Shocker. My first thought was how did Spider-Man get there so fast. Harley was still in the gym as we ran out, and so was Peter. But, Harley’s whole demeanor changed when he came out. I mean, he seemed distant from Peter the entire day but this was different. He seemed angry but also hurt. He kept his distance from Peter— who came out a few moments after Harley— the rest of the time until our parents picked us up. Harley wouldn’t even make eye contact with him. Something happened in that gym between those two, but I couldn’t figure out what. MJ and Ned seemed to know though, as it was written on their faces. 

And then that night, there was Spider-Man on the news, and well, we still don’t know what happened. All we know is that Spider-Man hasn’t been seen since. I refuse to believe that he is dead. But... wait.

Peter was not at school until yesterday. 

Harley’s excuse for Peter being gone did not line up with what his Aunt said. 

Could Peter be...? No. There is no way. Right?

... _Right_?

  
  
**Peter’s POV**

  
During Decathlon practice, I kept catching Flash just staring at me. Well, pretty much the entire day. Especially during gym. I had to be extra careful to be as weak as I could act. 

After practice, he came up to me and smiled. 

“Hey, Flash?” I questioned, seeing Harley in my peripheral, looking like he was ready to do anything. 

“Hey, Pen— Peter. I uh, I was wondering if you could uh, come to my house tonight to uh...” he scratched his neck, “to uh, help me with what we went over in Physics today? I don’t really understand what uh, she was teaching. You know I don’t really, well, ever like asking for help so um... I don’t really know how to do this.” He nervously chuckled.

“Oh! Um, well uh, sure. I uh, I’m sorry. This is just... you’ve never asked me for help before. I’m just... confused?” 

“Look, Peter. I... I desperately need help. My father... if he sees another B...” He looked genuinely... scared. It made me wonder what was happening at his house.

“Ok. Ok, just uh, let me tell Harley so he can tell Tony I won’t make it today.” I gave him a small smile before making my way over to Harley. 

“Is everything okay?” He asked me as soon as I got within talking distance.

“Yeah, um, I’m gonna go to Flash’s. Could you uh, tell Tony I won’t be able to make it today?” I said and he raised an eyebrow and looked over at Flash, who awkwardly waved at us. 

“He needs help with uh, today’s Physics lesson. He didn’t really understand it and we have that test tomorrow.” I explained and he looked at me in a way I couldn’t really understand. “What is it, Harley?” 

“I don’t know how you do it. You are seriously going to help Flash, the guy who has been tormenting you for years.” He scoffed.

I shrugged, “He needs help.” 

He shook his head, but smiled nonetheless. “Okay, just, you call me if he—“

“I’ll be fine.” I smiled and made my way back to Flash. “Okay, let’s go.” 

He smiled and I followed him to his car. He turned on his radio and started driving. It was awkward, like, very uncomfortable.

“Do you, uh, wanna stop at Delmars?” He asked me. 

“Uh, yeah sure.” I smiled. He parked the car and we walked in. I immediately went up to pet Murph. “Hey, Mr. Delmar.”

“Oye, niño no te ha visto en mucho tiempo.” Mr. Delmar said.

“Si, estaba enfermo.” I shrugged and smiled. Flash just looked at me.

“I thought you took German.” Flash said.

“I did. Mr. Delmar has helped me learn Spanish, though.” I said and then turned to Mr. Delmar.

“Your regular, Kid?”

“Yeah and uh, whatever he wants.” I said as I took out my wallet. Flash then grabbed my wrist gently. 

“No, Peter, I brought you here. I’ll pay.” He said and took out his wallet. 

“Um, no. I am able to pay for myself.” I argued. 

“Guys, I don’t got all day.” Mr. Delmar said unenthusiastically. Flash threw a ten dollar bill on the counter before I could even reach in my wallet. I scoffed and he just smirked. He gave Mr. Delmar his order and we left. 

“No eating in my car.” He said as soon as we got in. When he said that, I immediately had a dizzy spell. _Oh yeah, I only ate half of my lunch. Probably not the best idea._ Thankfully, his penthouse was only about 5 minutes away.

As soon as he opened the door to his house, I snatched my sandwich out of the bag and took a bite. 

“Damn, if I knew you were so hungry I would have let you eat in the car.” He smiled. 

“Where are your parents?”

“Probably at work. They don’t get home until real late.” Flash said as he motioned me to follow him down the enormous hallway and I’m guessing to his room. 

He opened his bedroom door and it took everything I had to not squeal in awe at his room. It was probably as big as half of my apartment and he had a king sized bed that he just threw his book bag on and fell into his bed. I put my book bag on the floor and took out my physics folder and my calculator, careful not to accidentally pull out my suit too.

“Okay, are you ready?” I asked him and he slowly sat up. 

“Yeah, yeah. Um...” he pulled out his binder and his calculator. “Hey uh, do you want something to drink?” He asked as he stood up and motioned for me to follow him to his kitchen. 

His kitchen was bigger than my living room. He had 4 ovens. Who the hell would need 4 ovens?

I sat down at the counter as he opened one of his two refrigerators and pulled out some orange juice. He went over to one of his many cabinets and pulled out 2 glasses. He placed them down on the counter and picked up the orange juice. He poured it and tried to sit one of the glasses down on the counter, narrowly missing it. My spidey sense took over and I caught it right before it fell to the ground, the sound of that one drop of OJ hitting the floor ringing in my ears. I slowly brought it back up to the counter and looked at Flash who was looking at me like... well, I don’t know. I couldn’t read his facial expression. 

He swallowed hard, “Good catch.” I couldn’t help but hear his heartbeat quicken. He poured the other glass and handed it to me. 

“Um, okay. Uh so um, what exactly did you not understand today?” I asked as we made our way back to his room. 

“I don’t really understand... well anything we talked about today.” He said. 

“Oh, ok.” I said, “um, I don’t uh... You didn’t understand anything?” He shrugged. 

“Okay well we pretty much went over Niels Bohr and how his theory explains how electrons move around the nucleus based on the atoms size and the amount of energy it emits.” I explained and he nodded and opened up his notebook... which was filled with correct equations and answers to everything we went over today.

He groaned and picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

“Flash—“ I said but then I looked at the screen. 

_“We have just been informed that 3 gunman inside this bank behind me have taken approximately 12 people hostage. They have yet to made any demands and SWAT is trying to contact the gunman in the bank. When there is more information, we will—“ BANG! BANG!_

“Oh my God.” Flash threw his hand over his mouth. 

Sirens flew past Flash’s house and I stood up with my book bag. But then I immediately dropped it when I remembered where I was. I looked over at Flash and he looked as if he was studying me. I looked over at the TV again and clenched my jaw. I looked back in forth between Flash and the TV. The reporter was now in shambles trying to keep it together. 

“Peter?” Flash said, still seemingly studying me.

“I uh, I have to go.” I picked up my bag again and he scoffed.

“I knew it. You’re _him_ , aren’t you?” 

“Flash, I don’t have time for this.” I looked at the other door in his room, “is that a bathroom?” He slowly nodded, staring at my unzipped book bag that had my red and blue suit on display. I ran into the bathroom and quickly changed. I threw open the bathroom door when I got changed and stuffed my clothes in there. I glanced over at Flash who had his mouth opened in awe. I threw my book bag down at the end of his bed and opened up one of his windows, throwing my mask on.

“Welcome back, Peter. Does Tony know you are going on duty?” Karen greeted me.

“Hey, Karen. No and Tony does not need to know. Neither does Harley.” 

“But Dr. Cho told me that she wants you to lay low and going to shut down a bank robbery is not laying low, Peter.”

“Karen, I swear I will turn you off if you alert anyone.”

I looked back at Flash and lifted up my mask as I made my way halfway out of the window. “If you tell anyone—“

“I won’t.” Flash said. “Go!”

I nodded as I pulled my mask down and flipped out the window and swung my way to the bank. 

“Karen, I need thermal readings.” I said as I landed softly on the roof. I opened up the vent and crawled my way in.

“There are 14 people in the main lobby and 1 person in the vault. I just sent you the blueprints.” 

“Thanks, Karen.”

“There is an incoming call from Harley. Would you like to answer?” 

“No.”

“Okay.” She said as I softly opened up the vent that was outside the vault. I dropped silently and walked up behind the guy in a ski mask. I webbed him up onto the wall without him even knowing what was happening until it was too late. I heard footsteps headed over and ran over to the opening of the vault. As soon as he walked in, I knocked him out and webbed him to the floor in case he woke up. I took both of their guns and webbed them to the ceiling. As I made my way out of the vault, I jumped up onto the ceiling and crawled my way into the main lobby. 

“Peter?” I heard and immediately recognized it was Harley’s voice. _Damn it, Karen_.

I stayed silent and he kept on calling my name.

“I swear, Peter, if you are in that bank...” he sounded terrified. 

I crawled right over the gunman and dropped to be right behind him, away from the hostages.

“Hey, dude, you know it’s not nice to point guns at people.” I said with my hands on my hips. I could hear Harley yelling my name but I ignored it. He spun himself around and aimed the gun at me, taking a shot at me. I jumped up in the air and snatched his gun with a web. I quickly put the safety on and then swung it around and crashed the gun over his head, knocking him out cold. 

I scanned the area and saw a woman that was crying run over to a hostage that had a pool of blood under him. 

“Oh, God.” I whispered, “I’ll call you back.” I hung up and ran over to the hostage. I put pressure on the wound and told the crying woman that I needed her to lead everyone out and tell them to bring in a medic. They all listened and ran out. 

“Hey, hey you are gonna be okay. Okay? Was that your wife?” I asked and he smiled and nodded as tried to close his eyes, “No! No, I need you to stay with me okay?”

“H-how old are you?” He tried to smile as he asked that, clearly making fun of my high voice, but instead, it caused him to hiss in pain. 

“I’m 17.” I said bluntly, not wanting to lie but also wanting to keep a conversation going so he stays awake. His eyes widened and I nodded, “Yeah, yeah, I know.” 

“How— weren’t you just—“ he croaked out. I guessed he was talking about what happened with Hammer.

“Yeah, I’m fine, and you will be too.” My eyes started to water because he told me to tell his wife he loved her.

“You are gonna be able to tell her yourself ok?” I said.

I heard the door open, “Over here!” I screamed and I heard the running footsteps. “There are two wounds, but they went through. I see the bullets over there.” I nodded my head in that direction. The two medics bent down and they told me to move my hands. I quickly got out of the way.

“Thank you, Spider-Man.” One of the medics said. I then heard more footsteps and looked over to see SWAT coming in. 

I jumped up to the ceiling so they wouldn’t see me and I then swung out the front door and heard cheers as I swung away. 

“Harley is insisting you answer.” Karen said.

I told her to put him through, “Hey—“

“WHAT THE HELL, PETER?!” I immediately winced at how loud he was, “DR. CHO DID NOT CLEAR YOU! ONE HIT TO YOUR BACK AND YOU COULD BE PARALYZED AGAIN! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, PETER?!” 

“You don’t know that Harley.” I said as I swung my way to Flash’s house.

“Where are you going?” Harley asked, clearly looking at my suit’s GPS.

“Back to Flash’s to get my bag.”

“Wait, Does Flash...?” I could hear him sigh, “You know what? I don’t even want to know. Tony wants you back _now_.”

I scoffed, “You know what? You can tell Tony that he can’t boss me around like I’m his kid because I am _not_ his kid.” I hung up as soon as I finished saying what I had to say. I jumped into Flash’s room and I could feel his eyes on my bloodied suit. I snatched my book bag and made my way to the window.

“So that’s it? I don’t even get an explanation? How did this happen? Why you do what you do?... Is this why Mr. Stark knows who you are?” Flash asked.

I turned to him, “Flash, I can’t right now, okay? I’ll explain, just not right now.” 

“Yeah, I uh...” Flash was talking but I just swung out of his window.

I slowly opened up my window and crawled onto the ceiling. I dropped down and turned around to see May sitting on my bed. She immediately stood up and looked at the blood all over my chest and hands. 

“It’s not mine.” I whispered. 

“Is it— did you kill—“

“No. It was a man who was shot. I tried to control the bleeding until the medics came in.” I explained.

“Peter—“

“Yes, I know May. It was stupid and reckless. But I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. And yeah, now Flash of all people knows my identity but I just saved a man’s life. And just because Tony wants to scold me does not mean I am going to stop. People need me. Queens _needs_ me. And I am not about to turn my back on them.” Once I finished, she smiled and took my face in her hands. 

“I am proud of you.”

“What?” 

“And Harley is too. You shouldn’t be so harsh to him. He was concerned about you. And after last week— he had a good reason to be.” She explained.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” I said. “I’ll be back.” 

“Um... he’s uh...” 

“He’s here, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.” She said as she got up. “I’m uh, gonna go. We need groceries anyways.”

I sighed and walked out of my room.

“That was a nice hero’s speech.” He smiled as I rounded the corner to see Harley sitting on the couch. 

“I’m sorry.” I apologized.

“You don’t need to apologize. In fact, I should be the one apologizing. I went off on you when I have no right to do so.” Harley said. “I was just scared because I can’t—“ 

He turned his face away from me so I couldn’t see it. I walked over to him and crouched down in front of him. I took his chin and made him face me. He had a tear trickling down his face. 

“Hey, you aren’t gonna lose me, okay?”

“How do you know that, huh? You go out there and risk you life every day and yeah that’s one of the reasons I—“ He swallowed hard. 

“Reasons you what?” I asked, feeling my heart beating faster, hoping that what he was going to say was what I could only dream of.

He looked me in the eyes and for a split second it flicked down to my lips before looking back at my eyes. “Nothing.” He whispered. 

I listened to his heart beat, it was going a little faster than normal, but nothing to prove what I had hoped. 

After a few minutes of me just sitting in front of him, he smirked and turned on the TV.

_“Spider-Man is alive and well! He saved 15 people tonight and one of those people he kept from bleeding out, according to one of the EMTs.”_

_“So I run in there with the Darren, and we just see Spider-Man talking to the hostage that was shot, trying to keep the dude from passing out as he kept pressure on his wounds. He saved that man’s life.”_

_“Talk about a comeback! The biggest question being asked right now is how did he heal from that disastrous fight with Justin Hammer so quickly? Within 5 days he is back out here saving people. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back, Queens!”_

“You saved him, Peter. If this doesn’t prove to you how much of a hero you are, it should. You are a hero, Peter.” I turned my head back to face him and his face was closer than it should have been. 

“Harley.” I said softly.

“You are _my_ hero.” He whispered. He glanced down at my lips again and he then leaned in closer and closer—

I heard the lock on the door click and I jumped back. 

“Got all the way to my car and then noticed I left my keys on the counter!” May laughed. I smiled at her as she left for the second time.

I turned back to Harley, but I couldn’t look him in the eyes. “Um, I’ve uh, got um, homework.” I lied, “I’ll uh... I-I’ll walk you out.” I stuttered, embarrassed.

He frantically nodded and scratched the back of his neck as he stood up. “Uh yeah.”

I walked over to the door and opened it so Harley could leave. 

“I’ll uh, see you tomorrow, I guess.” I gave him a soft smile, which he returned. As soon as he walked out the door, I immediately shut the door and walked to my room, trying to slow down my racing heart. 

  
_Was he about to kiss me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t kill me! Okay, the slow burn is almost over. I just wanted to torture you guys a little longer. ;)
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter also is full of angst, my brother. Me just torturing Peter be like...
> 
> Don’t worry tho, it gets WAY better at the end of this chapter. ;)
> 
> I know this is a little early, but I did write this at the beginning of the week, and tweaked it a little later on. It’s my thanksgiving break and I got nothing better to do so.

  
**Peter’s POV**

There is something on top of me. Debris is all around me, I can feel it. But that’s the only sense that is working: touch. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I CAN’T BREATHE! All I can see is darkness. I can’t see. I can’t see. I CAN’T SEE! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP—

I sat up in my bed, gasping for air as I hear a knock on the door. 

“Hey? Are you in there? It’s 7:10, dude.” I hear Harley’s voice from outside my apartment door. 

“Shit.” I whispered to myself as I jumped out of bed and quickly changed into clothes suitable for school. I ran to my bathroom and patted down my hair so it didn’t look like I just rolled out of bed. I quickly brush my teeth and stuff my suit in my book bag and run to the door. I swung the door open to be met with a very concerned Harley. 

“Are you okay? You look... dead.” He said bluntly. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. W-why wouldn’t I be okay?” I said, clearly not sounding believable. 

“You just woke up, didn’t you?” He said. I leaned backwards so I could look at myself in the mirror by the door.

I looked like literal shit. I had these huge bags under my eyes and my hair was still messy. Although, I did need a haircut too. My clothes were all wrinkled and he was right; I looked dead. 

“That obvious, huh?” I let out a forced chuckle as I balanced myself back on both feet. 

“When did you fall asleep?” He joked, but at the same time, it didn’t seem like a joke. He seemed genuinely worried.

And I didn’t need everyone _and him_ worrying about how I take care of myself. I am fine. 

“A little after Midnight.” I lied, “Had a lot of work to do.”

“Peter—“ He tried.

“I’m fine, okay? Can you just, take me to school?” I said a little harshly, pushing past him. 

The ride to school was quiet. A few times, I felt myself nodding off, but I immediately pinched my thigh when I noticed myself giving in. I saw a coffee shop in front of us. It wasn’t my coffee shop, but I needed something.

“Can we stop for coffee? I know I’m probably gonna make us late, but—“ 

“No, no it’s fine. Uh, we can go through the drive thru.” He said as he turned into it. 

“Your regular?” He asked me.

I nodded, “But uh, could you add three shots of expresso?” He looked at me worryingly but nodded nonetheless. 

He gave me my coffee, which I finished by the time we got to school. I still felt tired, but I had a little energy. 

My first period was hard. I kept dosing off, but I was able to stay awake for most of it. At the end of class my teacher pulled me aside.

“Are you okay, Peter?” She asked me and I just nodded. “Maybe you should go to the nurse, just to uh, rest for a while.”

“I’m fine, but thank you.” I said and left before she could say anything else. Harley was right outside the door and I jumped when I saw him. Now my senses were filled because of the lack of sleep. Great.

“What was that about?” He asked me and I just shrugged. 

By lunch time, the sight of food made me nauseous. And the smell. I don’t remember ever being nauseous at the sight of food because I was tired, so maybe I was sick. 

“Hey are you gonna eat?” Ned asked as he sat down and I shook my head slowly. I winced as I shook my head as I felt this piercing pain against my brain. 

“Are you okay?” MJ asked, mirroring the worried expression on Harley’s face. 

“I’m fine, I just have a headache.” I answered bitterly with no remorse. 

I looked up to see Flash walking over to me. I rolled my eyes as he whispered once he got close enough. “Do they know too?”

I suddenly felt like puking at the smell of my friend’s food, even though they were on the other side of the table. I then realized it probably wasn’t only that that was causing my nausea but I hadn’t eaten since that sandwich from Delmars yesterday. A dizzy spell hit me as I rubbed my temples because of the agonizing pain pounding against my head. 

“Not now, Flash.” Harley said for me. I couldn’t see Flash’s face, but I knew even he had a worried expression plastered on his face. I looked around to see in Flash’s bag was a can of RedBull.

“Can I have that?” I asked and I refused to look at Harley because by now, he definitely knew what was going on. 

Glucuronolactone and caffeine. I just need to finish the school day and then go home, go to sleep, and get the nightmares out of the way.

I don’t need a fucking therapist to talk to about something I already know I have. I have nightmares. That doesn’t mean I have PTSD.

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Flash handed me the RedBull and as soon as I opened it, I felt a wave of nausea come crashing down. I closed my eyes for a second and then downed about half of it. “Are you okay, Parker?” 

I turned to Flash, “I’m really getting sick and tired of people asking me that.” I got up just about a second before the bell rang for my next class. _Good to know my spidey senses are back up._

I downed the rest of the energy drink and threw the can away. Still tired, but now I knew I could get through the day. 

I felt Harley’s eyes on me the entire time during gym. I mean I never did turn in that Doctors note to the coach, which Harley was still kind of bitter about. But I knew sitting out of Gym after being sick was going to seem suspicious. I felt like passing out right then and there, but I couldn’t. I could control myself. _I could take care of myself._

After school I asked him to take me straight home. Harley of course agreed, since it was my day off work. He walked me to my door and just stood there. 

“What?” I asked.

“MJ told me about your... nightmares.” Harley said as he bit his lip, “Don’t be mad at her! I just... I asked her if she knew what was wrong with you today and she told me that it could be your um... nightmares.” 

I took in a deep breath and tried to keep from crying. “I uh, I didn’t want you to know that.” I said softly. He walked into the apartment and closed the door. He seemed hurt.

“Why?”

“Because... it’s stupid.” I looked down as I kicked at the invisible dirt on the floor. 

He took both my hands into his. “That’s impossible. You? Stupid?” He took my chin so I could look up at him, “What is it?”

“I— I didn’t want you to think I was this pathetic guy who couldn’t even deal with a few flashbacks.” 

“Flashbacks?”

“Well, that’s what Tony’s therapist calls them. But they only happen when I’m asleep except for that one time so they are nightmares and—“

“Peter, you aren’t pathetic. You have dealt with so much shit in your life, even before you were Spider-Man. That makes you strong. Not weak. Most people can’t even fathom what you have gone through.” He stopped for a second, “Is that why you didn’t tell me you saw a therapist?”

“It was a few days ago. She um... she says I have PTSD. And it scares me because the more nightmares I have the more she starts to make sense. I can’t sleep because I always end up back there.”

“Back where?” 

“Back on Titan, or under that building.” 

“Oh.” He said, as if he understood. He was the first person I told about this, just as Spider-Man. “Do— do you think it would help if I slept with you? I mean not like—“

“Could you?” I sounded so pathetic as I could hear my voice crack.

“Of course.” He said with a soft smile. “But, uh, how about you eat something first? You haven’t eaten anything at all today. And I remember hearing Dr. Cho say you have to consume at least 7,000 calories a day.” 

“I’m really nauseous and I-“

“Because you haven’t eaten.” He interrupted me. I gave him a glare before heading to the kitchen and taking out a granola bar. 

I ate a little more than half. I told him I literally could not eat anymore without puking so he didn’t push me. I went to my bedroom and dropped my book bag and was about to check my phone before he snatched it from me and pointed at the bed. I hesitantly got into the bed and he laid down next to me, not too close, but close enough to accelerate my heart rate. But it quickly slowed down and my eyelids became heavy. 

I could feel Harley playing with my hair and it felt really nice. I finally allowed myself to close my eyes and allowed the peaceful darkness to take over. 

  
  
**Harley’s POV**

He was perfect when he slept. He looked so beautiful and the soft little comforting noises that left his mouth were so cute. His hair was getting pretty long and kinda shabby, but I liked it. It was kinda like mine, but not quite as long.

I know it was kinda creepy, but I could watch him sleep for hours. About an hour after he had fallen asleep, I decided to fall asleep too.

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing and I picked it up to see it was Tony. I tried to sit up, but then noticed Peter’s arm wrapped around my waist. I knew he was strong, but he had a surprisingly strong grasp when he was asleep. I answered the phone.

“Hello?” I whispered.

“Harley? Where are you? Wait— why are you whispering? Are you with someone? Are you... y’know.”

“I’m at Peter’s.”

“Ohhh. I see.” I could practically see his smirk through the call.

“No, it’s not like that. He’s— he’s been having nightmares and he hasn’t slept in a few days, probably since he regained consciousness after the fight, and I wanted to help.” I pulled the phone off my ear to look at the time that read 9:10. “Oh. It is kinda late. Do you need me? I can try to get him off—“

“No, no, it’s fine. Wait, off?” 

“Tony, I swear to God...” I warned him in the harshest way I could without waking up Peter. 

“I’m kidding. Just uh, I guess I’m kinda hurt he didn’t tell me.” Tony said.

“It’s not your fault, Tony. He just... he has trouble expressing his feelings. You know this.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. Just... watch over him for me. Okay? And I’m serious, Harley. If you don’t just go for it soon, he is gonna slip right through your—“

I hung up on him and smiled at myself. I put the phone back down and slowly turned back to Peter. I moved the strand of hair that was blocking me from seeing his perfect face and just smiled at him. 

I kept asking myself why I wouldn’t just go for it, but the answer is right in front of me. I don’t want to lose him. I can’t lose him. I don’t even know if he is likes guys and everything points to him not.

And then last night, I almost ruined it all. He probably already forgot about it because he literally has no interest in me. Wanda is wrong. And even if she is right, I don’t want to risk losing him. 

Being friends with him is better than not even having him in my life. 

After a few minutes of my pity party, I heard his door squeak open. I turned my head to see May with widened eyes.

“It’s not what it looks—“

“The nightmares are back aren’t they?” She whispered and I nodded.

“But he has been sleeping peacefully since I got him home from school.” I said softly. “Does he know that you know?”

“I asked about it a couple of times before I knew about his... activities. I would come home and hear him screaming and thrashing around in his bed. He would say it was just a bad dream, but they kept happening over and over again. Sometimes he would wake up screaming Ben’s name, so I thought it had to do with him seeing Ben...” She took in a deep breath. 

I knew what she was going to say. I remember Peter telling me as Spider-Man that he was the reason Peter’s uncle was dead. He blamed himself. I never really got the full story, but that was enough. 

“You seem to calm him.” She said after a few moments of silence. “That’s something even I couldn’t do.” 

I stayed silent, not really knowing how to respond to that. I looked down at Peter and smiled. He was still clinging on to me.

“I know that look.” She whispered to me and smiled, “it’s the same look he makes when I bring you up.” I tilted my head in confusion.

_Was everyone in on this?_

“Um...” I chuckled nervously. “W-what do you mean?” 

“I’m just gonna tell you, he isn’t going to make the first move.” She smirked and stood up out of Peter’s chair. “I’m gonna order some pizza.” 

She left me alone in my thoughts as I just stared at Peter’s arm that was wrapped around me. 

After a few minutes, Peter stirred awake. 

“Hey, sleeping beauty.” I whispered and his eyes popped open and he immediately unwrapped himself from me. He jumped out of the bed and turned to look at me. He rubbed one of his eyes and yawned. _Cute_.

“How uh, how long have I been asleep?” He asked as he looked out his blinds into the dark night sky.

“About 5-6 hours.” I said. 

“And you just uh, stayed?” He asked, seemingly confused, which in turn made me confused.

“What? Did you think I was gonna leave you as soon as you fell asleep?” I smiled and he picked up his phone. 

“Did you sleep at all?” He asked me.

“No I just watched you sleep for the past 5 hours.” I joked. I only spent a good 45 minutes watching him sleep. Totally worth it.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep for so long.” He apologized and I just looked at him completely confused.

“Are you seriously apologizing for getting the sleep you need?” I asked. He shrugged.

“I bet you had better things to do on your day off.” He said and before I could argue with him, he left the room to go to the bathroom. 

He said that with no emotion at all, as if he believed it. It made me wonder: was the reason he was so selfless because he didn’t really think that much of himself?

He was so focused on everyone else’s problems. When did he have the time to deal with his own? Never. That was probably why he has so many problems in the first place. 

My thoughts were interrupted by a semi loud voice that could have only been Peter’s. 

“I can smell the pizza from behind that door. Is someone gonna get it?” I could hear his aunt laughing as she opened the door. I left his room and saw Peter running out of the bathroom and following his aunt to the dining room table. I smiled as he opened up the box and pulled out a piece. His aunt scolded him for not bothering to get a plate first and he ran into the kitchen and got 3 plates.

“Dig in, Harley. It is much better than anything May cooks.” He smiled and May hit his arm. “Ow.” 

“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want to intrude—“ 

“Harley.” May raised an eyebrow at me. I sat down and pulled out a cheesy piece of pizza. Peter was already on his third. 

By the time we were done, Peter ate 6 pieces and I only ate one so I wouldn’t take anymore from Peter. He really needed to eat anyways. 

“I’m going for a swing.” He said once he was done and he ran into his bedroom. May tried to argue, but within her third sentence in, he backflipped out of his room and into the main room. He had his London suit on and started to just make what I’m guessing to him was casual conversation. “May, did the blood come out of my other suit?” 

“Yes it’s in the dryer.”

“May!” 

“What?”

“It has to be air dried!” He ran into what I was assuming was the laundry room. He came out with a damp suit. “The suit has waterproof tech in it but it can’t just be flung around in 150 degree heat!” I smirked as he continued on his rant on about how the suit costs millions of dollars and how Tony would kill him.

“Are you still going for a swing? Cause I would love to go.” I smiled smugly and he looked at me with his mouth wide open. 

“Are you serious?” May and Peter said at the same time.

“Sure, why not?”

“Because it is scary as hell. It took me forever to get the hang of it.” Peter walked past me and hung his suit on the shower curtain in his bathroom. “But if you want to...”

“You guys are crazy.” May said, “I’m going to bed. Peter, don’t drop him.” She finished cleaning up and then went to her room. 

We made it back to Peter’s room and he opened up his window. “Are you sure about this?” 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I smiled and he started walk up the wall onto the roof. I scoffed, “Show off.”

I made my way up the fire escape and on the last step, I lost my balance. Peter caught me and pulled me up onto the roof. I placed one of my arms around his waist and one I wrapped around his shoulder. 

“You have to hold on real tight, okay?” He told me and I nodded. I could feel my heart racing as he shot out a web and we leaped off the building. 

I screamed and then started to laugh uncontrollably. I buried my face in the crook of Peter’s neck and within about 45 seconds, although it felt like forever, we landed on another roof. 

We both started laughing uncontrollably and we fell onto the roof. 

“God, that was fun.” I said once I regained control of my body. He just kept laughing. He took off his mask and smiled at me. 

“I, uh, I wanna thank you for today. It’s just I...” He started.

“It’s okay.” After I said that, he looked down and started fidgeting with his hands.

“There is no place I’d rather be right now than helping you. You help so many people and here you are suffering and I see you trying to build those walls up again but Peter, you don’t have to.” I tried to reassure him, but he looked even more confused.

“Why did you almost kiss me?” He asked, his voice cracking. _Oh here we go..._

“Why do you think I did?” I swallowed hard. His head snapped up at me and his eyes were watering.

“Y-you didn’t deny it.” When he said that, my heart shattered.

“Why would I deny it, Peter? Do you think I’m messing with you?”

“I— I don’t know.” He said. He stood up and turned away from me. 

“Peter...” I stood up and got behind him. “I didn’t want to lose you, so I did nothing. But now Im not sure if I’m the only one who feels this way. I mean, I’m _not_ the only one that feels this way, right?” 

He slowly turned around and looked up at me. He smiled weakly. “No.” He whispered so softly that I almost didn’t catch it. But I did. 

I immediately wrapped my arm around his waist to pull him closer to me and I ran my other hand through his hair when my lips finally met his.

At first he just stood there, not moving, and so I pulled away. But he then yanked my shirt back and he locked our lips again.

I never really understood it when people would say that when they kissed the person they loved it felt magical or it felt like nothing else in that moment mattered. Until now. I understood it completely.

Yeah, I had kissed a few people in my life before, but never like this. I made me me feel so alive. It made me feel... important and loved and _adored_. 

He placed a hand softly on my neck and smiled into the kiss. We broke apart for air, and I let my forehead rest against his. He let out a cute little giggle.

“I was not expecting that.” He said quietly. 

“Well, I’m glad it happened.” I chuckled. He slowly untangled himself from me as we both heard a siren a couple blocks away. He pulled on his mask.

“Karen?” He said inside the mask. It was crazy how easily he could turn from all gushy and romantic to serious in a matter of seconds. “Have there been any casualties?” He asked as he walked closer to the edge of the roof. “Okay, thanks.” He looked over at me and I could tell even with the mask on that he was disappointed. 

“It’s okay.” I told him and he immediately ran towards me, swept me off my feet, (figuratively and literally) and within about half a minute, I was right next to my car outside his apartment. 

“We’ll talk later?” He asked and I just absentmindedly nodded as he swooped away. 

As soon as he was out of sight, I threw a fist up in the air and jumped in excitement.

  
_He liked me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it was coming;)  
> Hope you enjoyed! I still feel like it happened too fast, although it has literally been 20 chapters. Lol
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof this is a long one! A lot happens in this one so be ready!

  
**Peter’s POV**

I woke up nervous but excited. I see him all the time, what makes today different?

_Oh yeah, we kissed last night._

We kissed.

I put on my favorite science pun shirt with a gray jacket and some jeans. I actually fixed my hair because I actually had a reason to. It was weird. I now care about my appearance since he “likes” me? Although he never said he did. But he also said he wasn’t playing with me. Either way, after school I was going to go get a haircut. 

I heard the knock on the door and I felt my heart stop for a second. I’ve seen him so many times, and here I am, making a big deal at probably nothing.

I walked slower than normal to answer the door and there he was, looking as perfect as ever. He was wearing a graphic tee and a leather jacket, with ripped jeans. 

“H-hey.” I smiled, feeling a blush spread across my face. 

“Hi. I saw that you saved a kid last night.” He grinned. I playfully rolled my eyes.

“I got there a few minutes late. Most of everyone was already out.” I shrugged. He then in turn just stared at me and looked kind of frustrated. “What?”

“Can’t you ever just take the win?” He huffed out and then he slowly got closer to me until he was a few inches away from my face, “I consider last night a win on multiple levels.” He smirked as he reached behind me. He then he slyly handed me my book bag that was on the stool behind me. I just stood there awkwardly as I accidentally snatched the book bag out of his hands. Not in an aggressive manner, more like awkwardly.

“You ready to go?” He asked as he turned to the door.

“Y-yeah.” I said in a soft voice, scared of what my voice would do if I actually spoke at a regular level.

I followed him out and like a gentleman, he opened the passenger door for me.

I slipped in and started fidgeting with my hands as he walked over to the driver’s side. 

“Are you okay?” He asked as he looked down at my bouncing leg.

“Me? Y-yeah. I’m fine. Are you? W-why wouldn’t I be— fine?” I stuttered and felt my throat drying up. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” He asked.

“What? There’s nothing to talk about. W-why would there be something to talk about?” 

“Peter... you have picked at your cuticles so much, that one is bleeding.” He pointed out and I looked down and sure enough, my right index finger was bleeding, but not a lot. 

“What? I’m bursting with energy because guess what I did when I got home last night? I went to bed and actually slept for another six hours!” I said proudly, noticing my heart rate finally slowing down.

“So it has nothing to do with the fact that we made out on top of a random roof last night?” He said bluntly. Just hearing him say that made my heart rate accelerate again. 

I stayed silent as he quietly analyzed me. 

“What?” I asked.

“I’m just admiring what’s right in front of me.” He said and I bursted into laughter and covered my red face.

“That was so cringey, dude!” I managed to say in my fit of giggles. 

He playfully scoffed as he started the car. The car ride was eerily silent.

“Ok, since you aren’t going to address it, I will.” He said breaking the silence when we pulled onto the campus. 

“Address what?” I said. 

“Address the fact that I kissed you last night.”

I took in a deep breath and looked out at the students piling in the school, “Can we talk about this later?” 

I immediately regretted it as he looked like a kicked puppy.

“Um... yeah, uh, sure.” He said, taking the keys out.

“Harley—“

“No it’s fine, really.” He said with the most pained fake smile he could muster. He got out of the car and made his way into the school, without me. 

We didn’t really talk to each other at all during the day. Only during Physics when we needed to.

I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and take back what I said, which wasn’t a lot. I was just nervous. I’ve never really had to commit to anything. So how was I supposed to know what to do? 

After a painfully awkward lunch, I made my way to Gym class.

I was able to catch Flash in the locker room before he walked out.

“Hey, uh, could you take me to the barber’s after school? I have an appointment.” I whispered as I scratched my neck. I didn’t really want to ask Harley because of how awkward that would be at the moment.

“Why can’t your boyfriend?” He joked with no hostility in his voice. It was a genuine joke.

“Uh... that’s a good quest— wait what? W-we aren’t dating?!” I exclaimed, but also as a question because I did not know what we were.

“I know, it was a joke.” He chuckled, “Is everything okay?” 

“To be honest, I don’t know.” I sat down on one of the benches. “Will you take me? I would like to get one before I have to go to work.”

“Wait, why do you need someone to take you? Can’t you just—“ 

“Shhh!” I interrupted him. “I don’t swing everywhere I go.”

“Oh. Well, I can take you to the Barber’s and then to the Avengers compound.” 

“Ok, thanks.” I let him go out and waited a couple of minutes before making my way outside to the track.

I could feel Harley’s eyes on me as I walked over to Ned and MJ. 

“What’s going on with you and yeehaw boy?” MJ asked. 

“It’s complicated.” I said bluntly and we started jogging around the track.

“Was he mad that you went out again?” Ned asked and I just harshly scoffed.

“Why are you guys so interested? We had a fight this morning, ok?” I said and started running to put some distance between them because they started to piss me off. Before I knew it, I had completed my 10 laps and kept passing the same people over and over again. _Did I do more than 10 laps?_ _Oh shit_.

I quickly stopped in my tracks to glance at the coach who was looking at me like I just unmasked myself as Spider-Man. I gave him an awkward wave as I went to sit down in the stands, not even trying to act like I was exhausted, because it was clear I wasn’t. It took the next person about half a minute to finish his laps. He went to sit a little ways away from me, as if I was a threat to his alpha/macho image. 

Once everyone was done, I realized they were all heavy breathing and sweating and giving me weird glances.

The coach came up to us all in the bleachers and was failing miserably at keeping his amazement hidden. 

“Well, that uh, was good, guys. Um Parker finished his 2 and a half mile in... 9 minutes and 4 seconds and then did an extra lap for good measure, I guess. Um, and then Wright finished his in 9 minutes and 26 seconds. Green finished his in 10 minutes and 2 seconds. Everyone else’s will be put on the bulletin before the end of class. Everyone go inside and cool off and hydrate.” I was heading in with everyone else until, “Hey, Parker. Can I see you for a moment?” Ned and MJ gave me a sincere smile and went on in. 

“Yes, coach?” 

“Are you... okay? What was that?” He asked, looking at me in amazement. 

“Yeah, I uh... I don’t know.” I said, tired and out of excuses. 

“Peter, that wasn’t just an adrenaline thing and I have never seen steroids do that before. You know you were just a minute from the world record? And you did an extra lap on top of that? With no practice and no experience. Have you been holding out on me, Parker?” 

“Uh, no sir. I just uh, I don’t know. It just happened I guess. I was angry so...” I said, trying desperately to get out of that conversation. 

“You weren’t even out of breath. I just wanted to warn you, we have a surprise drug test tomorrow. So if you took something...” My head snapped up at him and I just looked at him.

“I’m not on drugs, sir.” I said getting really tired of this.

“Okay, Parker. Just uh, thought I should tell you.” He said, still seeming to believe that I was on something.

Once I went to the locker room, I took out my phone and texted Harley that I didn’t need a ride to the compound. And then I proceeded to text Tony that I would be late.

After school, I waited about 5 minutes before making my way out to the parking lot and found Flash’s car in the empty lot. I walked up to him and smiled. He motioned for me to get in and we made our way to the barber. 

He stayed in the car as I went in and saw a guy by an empty chair, sweeping up hair. 

“You gotta appointment?” The guy said unenthusiastically. 

“Yeah, um, Parker?” I said and he pointed to the empty seat.

“Watcha want?” He smacked his gum. 

“Uh, I’m thinking something new. Like uh, an undercut fade? Uh, but about 4 inches kept on top?” 

“Yeah, I can do that, dude.” 

It took about 25 minutes, but it was really worth it. It looked nice. I had an undercut, but had a curly mess of bangs on the top.

“Thanks, man.” I thanked and paid him. I walked out and got into the car.

“Damn, Parker! Who are you trying to impress?” Flash exclaimed with wide eyes.

“N-no one. I just wanted a change that’s all. Also I just wanted to uh, wanted to look nice for homecoming.” 

“Oh, you’re going to the homecoming dance?” 

“Yeah, um... MJ, Ned, and... and Harley, we all are going to the dance together.” I said and he laughed.

“That’s so lame.” He said starting the car, “So how did it happen?” He asked.

“How did what happen?”

“Your powers? How did you get them? What all can you do?” He asked, clearly fascinated.

“Um, well. Remember that field trip in the 9th grade? The one where we went to Oscorp?” I asked and he nodded. His eyes suddenly got real big.

“The one with all the spiders? They believed they could use the spiders to do cross species genetics for regeneration purposes or something.”

“Yeah uh, I got... bit.” 

“Wait, so you are saying, any one of us could have become Spider-Man?”

“No. Uh, after they found out about the vigilante that was swinging from webs, they tested it on humans. The radiation in the spider venom was too much. Everyone died.” 

“Wait, that doesn’t make sense. How are you alive? Do you have the spider?”

“I don’t know. But the spider is dead. The next morning I found it in my shirt. I’m guessing the radiation was too much for it too.” 

“But... that field trip was a few weeks after those YouTube videos popped up.” 

“Yeah, I uh, I was sick for about a week after that trip and then I didn’t know what was happening until about a week after the week I was sick. Things kept sticking to me, I kept breaking things and everything was so loud and I could smell things from across the room that normal people wouldn’t be able to smell unless they had it to their nose. The hairs on my arms would stand up when something crazy or wrong was about to happen and I was always on alert. I um... that’s uh, why I was late to pick up May one day. I uh, was experimenting with my powers and Ben and I got into a fight about me forgetting to pick her up. I uh, I ran out... he was looking for me and he uh...” I could feel my eyes watering as I remembered it vividly. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“I’m sorry, Parker. I didn’t mean to—“

“No, it’s fine.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes before he broke it, “Do you shoot the webs out of you?”

“W-what?” I smiled, “No. I have webshooters that I made. I make my own web fluid and yeah. The sticking to surfaces and the crazy strength and enhanced senses is pretty much where the similarities end between me and the spider.”

“Oh, cool.” He nodded as he pulled onto the street to the compound. He made it to the gate.

“Identification.” Flash looked at the box and back at me.

I crawled over Flash, “Peter Parker.” I said and the I moved a little so the little camera could pick up my Face ID. I then handed Flash my key card and asked him to insert it and he then handed it back.

“Peter Parker, Level A. Avengers Access.” FRIDAY said in a more robotic voice and her tone changed afterward. “Hello, Peter. Nice haircut. Who is this?” 

“A uh, a friend. He’s dropping me off.” 

“I’m sorry, Peter, but your friend will have to turn around. After the incident with Spiderman and Justin Hammer, boss is taking extra precautions to keep you—“

“Yeah, Yeah. Okay FRIDAY. I guess I’ll jump the gate.” I turned to Flash and thanked him as I got out. I jumped over the 12 foot gate as FRIDAY turned off the forcefield for a second. 

I watched as Flash backed out and turned around and left. 

I made my way to the front lobby door and walked in. I walked to the elevator and told FRIDAY up to the workshop.

I walked into the workshop to see Harley and Tony at work on one of Tony’s old cars. I walked over to my table and heard Tony whistle. I looked up just in time to see Harley look up and just... stare at me. I’m not really sure what expression he was making. 

“Nice, Peter. So, who is it?” Tony smirked.

“Who is what?” I asked giving him a questioning look.

“Come on, you don’t just cut your hair like that for no reason.” Tony said and then Harley got down to get under the car, clearly trying to avoid me. 

“I just wanted a change. Long hair is hard to deal with.” 

“It wasn’t even that long. It was barely beneath your ears.” Tony said. 

“Okay, whatever.” I playfully rolled my eyes.

“Oh, before I forget, Dr. Cho wants to see you before you leave.” Tony said and then gave me a pitying look. 

I groaned, “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, she’s pissed.” He grinned. Harley rolled out from underneath the car and got up. He picked up a wrench and gave me a quick glance, which I had to admit was fucking hot because he was wearing a tight white tank top with oil smears all over it, and went back under the car. Tony could definitely feel the tension.

“Hey, uh, I’ve gotta go tuck in Morgan. I’ll be back in about 15 minutes.” He lied, clearly just making up a pathetic excuse just to let us talk.

He ran out and I swallowed hard. I just stood there awkwardly until Harley came back up from under the car, now with an oil smear on the tip of his nose.

He looked at me as he picked up a rag and wiped his fingers. He stared at me for a second before turning back around and getting back on the rolling board.

“Wait, Harley. Can— can we talk for a second?” I know I sounded desperate, but I didn’t care at that moment. 

He stopped and sat up. He stood up and made his way around the table to lean against it so we could talk. He was clearly not going to start the conversation.

“I know I hurt you this morning. I just...” I let out a harsh chuckle, “To be honest, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, Harley. I’ve never really...” I pointed between both us, motioning what I didn’t really know to say. 

He just continued to stare at me with an emotionless face. 

“All I know is that today was hard. Knowing you were mad at me and knowing you had a reason to be and knowing that I fucked up. All I know is that I just went a whole day without you and I don’t want to do that again.” My voice cracked at the end.

“Did you regret it?” He finally spoke. He sounded dull and pessimistic, almost.

“W-what?” 

“Did you regret what happened yesterday?” He asked, looking me straight in the eye.

“No!” I said with the most honesty I could give, “Regret was the farthest thing from my mind! I just— got anxious and scared.” 

“Of what?” The hostility in his voice melted away.

“Of what it could mean. Of what could happen. Of what would happen with us if this didn’t work out...” I swallowed hard, “Of losing you.” 

“Peter...” He frowned.

I looked up at him with my eyes watering, “Do you know how many people have died or gotten hurt because of being close to me?” I sniffled, “Too many people, Harley. And yeah, you know Iron Man, but that doesn’t help the fact that you know me too. The last time I was almost involved with someone, they were attacked by killer drones. And that dude almost killed me, twice! So if that doesn’t tell you to run the other way I don’t know what will.”

“Do you want me to run?” He asked softly as he slowly started walking closer to me. 

“No but... I don’t want you to get hurt.” I cried. 

He was now inches from me, “I trust you.” He put his hand against my cheek and wiped a tear off it. “Do you trust me?” 

My throat was dry and my heart was beating rapidly. I glanced down at his lips and nodded. He closed the space between us and it was just like it was last time: perfect.

He placed a hand around my waist and tried to pull me even closer. I placed my hand against his chest and another at my side, not really knowing what to do. 

I could feel him smiling into the kiss as he spun me around and lifted me. 

I shrieked and then giggled as he placed me on the table. He gently placed his lips against mine again. It was more passionate than the last as he placed one of his hands against my thigh and the other around my waist, pulling me closer to him. 

I ran my fingers through his hair and sighed as he trailed kisses down my neck. 

“Harley...” I whispered, as he looked up, alerted. 

“Is this okay? Or...” he asked and I smiled. 

“Yeah, yeah it’s fine.” I pulled him back into the kiss. 

_Ding_!

I jumped and immediately pushed Harley away from me as I wiped my mouth and jumped off the table. I picked up a wrench and placed it in Harley’s hand. 

“Wha—“ He looked so confused as I ran to my table. Just as I made it and pulled up one of my prototype suits, I could hear Harley say, “Oh.” Tony was putting in the passcode and opened the glass door. 

“Hey guys, sorry. Morgan did not want to go to bed.” He chuckled and then looked back and forth between us. He frowned at Harley, “Are you okay? You look a little...”

Harley’s voice cracked, “Wha— I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

_Maybe he isn’t fine cause just 30 seconds ago he had his tongue down my throat_. I smirked to myself as I turned around to pick up my bag.

“Where are you going?” Tony asked as I made my way to the door. I glanced at Harley, who was avoiding eye contact.

“It’s 5:45. I wanted to get home to make dinner for May. Y’know, she has been working so hard lately and—“

“Of course, Peter. Uh, just um, go see Dr. Cho.”

I went down to Dr. Cho’s office before heading out, dreading having to face her.

After a long and stern lecture of needing to take it easy, I left and halfway out the lobby’s door, I heard someone calling out to me.

“Hey! Peter!” I turned around to see Harley jogging over to me. He threw on a jacket so he didn’t have to run out here with just a dirty tank top. He smiled.

“Do you need a ride?” He asked me as he caught up to me. 

“I think I’m good. I would like to just swing, clear my head and think.” I said and then immediately tried to take back what I said, “Not that I _need_ to clear my head and think about anything! I just—“

He snickered, “Peter, it’s fine. You don’t have to explain anything to me.” He took a step closer to me and continued, “Although, I would like you to call me later to see where we stand on everything...?”

I vigorously nodded my head as my mouth started to dry up. “Y-yeah. Me too.” 

He smirked as he took a step back and out of my personal space, “Night.” 

“Night.” I said back as I made my way out. 

  
I swung home and climbed through my window. She wasn’t home yet, but she was going to be home by 6:30.

I decided on making spaghetti since I could get that done in about 30 minutes. 

I tossed up some salad and got the table ready. I smiled at the setup and heard the door open.

“Ooo, What is that smell?” I could hear the smile in May’s voice. She closed the door as I was putting the spaghetti on two plates for us.. “Oh, Peter. You didn’t have to do this!” 

“I wanted to. I’ve noticed how stressed you have been and I just wanted to help out. Since I haven’t been much of a help these past couple of weeks.” I chuckled, “More of a nuisance, really.”

She frowned as she dropped her stuff by the door and spun me around and enveloped me into a hug. 

“Oh, baby. You could never be a nuisance to me. It’s not your fault that—“ She stopped. But she didn’t have to finish. 

She loved being able to brag that her nephew was a “hero,” but she hated talking about the other side of things; the side where I get hurt. 

“I know, May.” I sighed but then immediately replaced it with a smile. “Ok, go sit down! I’ll bring the food to you.” 

“I love your new haircut, by the way.” She teased as she walked over to the table and sat down. I place the plate in front of her and the little bowl of salad on the left. 

“Peter, this is... wonderful!” She expressed once I finally sat down. She looked over to the TV. “Oh! The guy is finally out!” I turned around to see the guy I saved, Shaun, outside the hospital, in a wheelchair with his wife by his side as he talked to the new reporter.

“ _Do you have anything you want to say to the people who have become inspired by your story?”_ The news reporter asked.

“ _I know a lot of people believe Spider-Man is just a vigilante. A menace. A guy who only wants fame. Believe me, I believed it too for a while. That is, until he saved me and my wife’s life. He kept my 6 year old daughter from growing up as an orphan._ ” He smiled through his tears and then turned to look straight into the camera, “ _Spider-Man, if you are listening, I want you to know that my wife and I are eternally grateful for what you did. You saved my life. You saved our family. And I will never forget that. Thank you.”  
_

I turned to May and she had tears in her eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I reached over the table to hold her hand.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s happy tears.” She smiled as she wiped them away. “Just seeing everything you do and have become, Peter, it’s so... I’m _so_ proud of you. Ben would be _so_ proud of you. You know that, right?” 

I gave her a weak smile has I swallowed hard, “Yeah, I know. I know.” 

She smiled at me before looking down at her plate and taking a bite. “This is so good, Peter! Maybe you should stick to the cooking.” 

I smirked, “Maybe I should.”

She looked up and saw me smirking, “Okay, my food is not _that_ bad.” 

I held up my hands in surrender, “I never said it was!” I then snickered and mumbled, “Maybe it was implied.” 

“Okay, I take back everything good I said about your cooking. It just doesn’t taste right anymore.” She joked as she pushed her plate forward a little. But then she immediately started eating it again.

“Hey, I worked hard on that!” I said, acting offended.

The rest of the dinner was filled with laughs and afterwards she helped me clean up. I might have made a mean meal, but I am messy when I comes to cooking. 

“So, how are things with Harley?” May asked out of the blue. I gave her a weird look. _Did she know?_

“Fine...? Why?” 

She shrugged, “Just wondering. I knew you guys had that little fight before you... y’know. And after the fight with Hammer he seemed so... scared. And it was scary to see him in such... disarray.” She looked up from the plate she was cleaning, “So he’s okay?”

“Yeah... yeah he’s fine.” I looked down at the soapy water, “Wait, did he really look that bad?” I asked, knowing that the question would be suspicious.

She shrugged but had a solemn look on her face, “I mean, he seemed even worse than me when I got there. This might sound a little dramatic but he looked... broken and... dead, really.”

I just stared at the plate I was holding, as I felt a shiver run down my spine as she said those last words.

_Broken and dead._

Was it really that bad? 

I snapped out of my trance as she turned around and got on her tippy toes to give me a small kiss on the forehead. She gave me a soft smile.

“I’m sorry for unloading that on you. I shouldn’t have done that. As I said, I might be exaggerating. Everything that happened was kind of a blur, I just remember seeing him look pretty bad and I was worried about him.” She continued, “I am dog tired. Thank you for the amazing dinner, honey. Don’t stay up too late, okay?” 

I gave her a nod and she left the kitchen. I frowned as I walked to my room. 

_Broken and dead._

It made my skin crawl. Knowing that I caused that much pain and hurt onto someone... 

And on Harley of all people. I jumped at the sound of my phone ringing. 

_Speak of the devil._

I picked up and smiled, although the thought of how Harley was when I was half dead in the back of my mind made me not want to smile. 

“Hey.” I squeaked out and I could practically feel his smirk through the phone.

“Hey. Oh! I’m sorry did I interrupt your dinner?” 

“No. No, we are done.” I smiled.

“Hey, uh, I was um... actually I...” he let out a sigh, “I’m actually... Wow, I can’t speak.” He chuckled and I returned it.

“I’ll be there in a few.” I said and I could feel his confusion.

“Wait— what?” he said as I yanked my suit out of my book bag and put it on. I opened my window.

“Yeah I’ll be on your roof in a minute.” I said as I hung up and threw on my mask. I jumped out of my window and made my way to the compound. 

I landed on the roof, with the rocks underneath my feet. He turned around from the view of the New York lights. He gave me a smile and I smiled back as I took off my mask.

“Hey.” He said softly and I awkwardly waved. I walked closer to him and took in his facial features. His blue eyes seemed a little darker in the lack of light and his golden brown hair was a mess. But he always pulled that off. And his pink lips were curved into a soft smile that made him look absolutely stunning. 

“Hi.” I said a little above a whisper. “Um, I just... I came here cause I guess I had nothing better to do? There hasn’t been much crime today.” 

“Yeah, maybe you finally scared the bad guys off. After all, nobody can ever mess with the Spider-Man.” He smirked as he walked into my personal space. I could feel my breathing hitch, and I knew he could too. 

“Spider-Man. Queen’s hero. My hero.” He said as he glanced at my lips. It took everything in my power not to yank his shirt close to me and crash our lips together. 

“Yeah, sure.” I playfully rolled my eyes, although I was kind of getting sick and tired of everyone putting me on a pedestal and capturing me as this perfect guy, when I was so far from it. He gave me a small frown, but I dismissed it. “So... I—”

“Will you go to the homecoming dance with me?” He blurted out, so fast that I barely caught it. I looked at him with wide eyes as he bit his lip. 

“W-what?” I felt my voice crack. I could feel my heart racing, as I waited for him to repeat what he said so I know I wasn’t making things up.

He gave me a smile as he bit his lip again, “Will, uh, you go to the dance with me?” 

“You... you want to go with me?” I asked, surprised. He seemed a little anxious now as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, his hair flying around in the breeze. 

“Y-yes. I do.” He said, still bitting his lip.

“Wait, really? This isn’t... this isn’t a joke?” 

“I told you already that I’m not joking about how I feel.”

I could feel fluttering in my chest as he said that. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to go with me. I mean, we already said we were all going together and—“

“I’ll go with you.” I interrupted him, my heart beating so fast I wasn’t even really paying attention to what he was saying. 

“Really?” He asked, seemingly also surprised I said yes. I nodded and he smiled as he took a step closer to me. 

He placed a hand on the side of my neck and pulled me forward into a kiss. I threw a hand into his messy mop of hair and returned the same amount of passion into the kiss. He bit my lower lip, and I gasped as he slipped his tongue in my mouth. My heart was beating so fast, and I could hear that his was beating faster than mine. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me as close as he could to his body. 

“Harley.” I whispered and he pulled back to look at me, concerned he was doing something wrong.

“Did I do something—“

“No I just... I... we should talk about it.” I said in a soft voice. “Like, is this a casual thing or...?”

He seemed a little hurt and taken back by the question, “Wait, do... do you want it to be casual?” 

“I... I don’t know. And by that, I mean I don’t know what you want so I’m afraid to answer that.” I said truthfully.

“Well, I want to know what you want, Peter. I want us to be honest...” He smiled. He then proceeded to look more serious, but refusing to look me in the eyes, “Do... do you want a casual thing?” 

I took in a deep breath, “I don’t... I don’t want to say the wrong thing.” 

He looked at me and took my hands, “However you feel isn’t wrong. It’s just how you feel.” 

“I— I don’t want a casual thing.” I said and I could hear him let out the breath I didn’t realize he was holding in. 

“Okay. I don’t either.” He said, with a small smile. 

“What do you want?” I asked him, still my heart beating so fast because I was nervous.

He then proceeded to smile as he thought about it for a second, “I want to be able to make you feel happy and loved.” He lightly squeezed my hands, “I want to take you on dates and... well, I want... I want to be with you, Peter.” 

I had a big grin on my face and nodded happily.

“Do you, you want that?” He asked, smiling.

“Yes. Yes I would like that.” I answered almost immediately. 

He kissed me again and then pulled me into a hug. Once he pulled himself out of it, he gave me one more kiss before I heard sirens out in the distance. 

“Sorry, duty calls.” I said as I pulled myself off of him and put my mask back on.

“You know one day, you are just gonna have to take a day off.” He smiled.

“Hmm. Sadly crime doesn’t take a day off.”   
  


I gave him one last look before I flipped off the roof.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bunch of this stuff might be inaccurate, but some things aren’t even mentioned anywhere in the MCU so I just added it in as a part of my imagination.

  
**Harley’s POV**

I knocked on Peter’s door to come face to face with a sleepy, but cute boy in sweatpants and no shirt. And damn, was he jacked. 

“Mornin’.” I smirked at him and his eyes widened when he was awake enough to realize it was me.

“Oh God, what time is it?” He left me standing in the door way as he quickly went to his room. I closed the door behind me and made my way to his room just to see him stepping out of his pants. I immediately looked away and then heard his door close pretty hard. 

“Don’t worry, we aren’t late. In fact I’m here about 10 minutes early.” I said a little loud so he could hear from his closed door. I heard a ‘yeah.’ 

“I was just thinking, we could go get some breakfast at your favorite coffee place and then head to school.” 

“Aaa!” I heard a muffled yell, followed by a thud.

“You okay in there?” I asked and got closer to the door, just for a gust of wind to be blown my way as he threw the door open. I took a second just to stare at him, his hair still messy and him throwing his book bag on. 

He noticed me staring and gave me a weird look, “What?” 

“Nothing, just admiring your adorableness.” I smirked and he looked even more confused. 

“I literally just slipped and landed on my ass in there. I bet I look like I just got out of bed, which I did. How is that adorable?” He asked, point blank. I smiled as I ran a hand through his hair and got into his personal space, making him blush.

“Everything about you is adorable.” I said as I pecked his lips and walked over to the door to open it, “After you.” 

“Ah, such a gentleman.” He teased me.

“Always am.” I flashed him a grin as I followed him out the apartment.

We went to get coffee and some donuts and then left for school. 

The ride to school was pretty quiet and I noticed how nervous Peter looked. He kept hitting his lip and shaking his leg up and down.

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked him and he looked at me completely oblivious.

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine.” He said with a little frown. 

I raised my eyebrow at that and he purses his lips.

“I’m fine, I just... we already told MJ and Ned we would all go together and now we are just going to throw all of this on them. Not only the dance but that we are... dating.” He said honestly and proceeded to look out his window. “It just... I don’t want them to think that I turned my back in them.” 

“They aren’t going to think that. Peter, you are single handedly the kindest person I know. You even thinking like that shows me that you are.” I thought about it for a moment, “Do— do you want to go as a group? I mean, if you aren’t ready-“

“I don’t know. I really want to go with you, but I— we haven’t told anyone. And I don’t... I don’t know.” He explained. He seemed conflicted and that hurt me. Knowing he wasn’t out yet and now he seemed to be having doubts, it had me worried.

“Well, we could always go as a group. I mean, we are probably going to hang out with them the entire night anyways. But, I would like at least one dance.” I gave him a smile which he then mirrored. 

“Are you sure?” He asked. I gave him a nod as I turned to pull into the parking lot. 

I parked the car and faced him. 

“We should have talked about how we were going to tell people. But, if you aren’t ready, that’s fine.”

“It’s not that I’m not ready, Harley. I just— it’s hard to be with someone when you do what I do. I have to be careful. I mean, I have a guy in prison right now who knows who I am and he is _really_ dangerous. I don’t want to get you hurt. I think I just need a few days to think about how I am going to go about it.” He said and I could see tears forming around his eyes. 

“Okay, then. That’s fine. We can wait a little while longer if you would like. I mean, who knows? Maybe it will fun having a little secret all for ourselves.” I smirked as he looked up and smiled at me. He pulled me in for a quick kiss before he opened his door and got out. 

I closed my door and walked with him across the parking lot. “I want you to come over to the cabin tonight.” I whispered, even though nobody was around. He stopped walking and turned to face me. 

“What?” He said smiling.

“Well, I was thinking of cooking for you. I told Tony I needed the cabin for a little pre- homecoming party for Ned, MJ, and you. He agreed and I want to do something special for you.” I explained with a smile.

“Do you even know how to cook?” He smirked and I tried my best to put on the most offended face. 

“I’ve been cooking for my family since I was 9, just so you know.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know I had a master cooker as a boyfriend.” He smiled but then his face dropped in realization as he said it.

I smirked, “Boyfriend. I like how that sounds.” 

The day flew past, everyone was talking about how excited they were for the homecoming dance and how great the game was going to be tonight. 

  
After school, I drove Peter to Delmars to get his sandwich so he wouldn’t die of starvation by the time I made dinner. 

“What are you wearing tomorrow?” I asked him and he seemed taken back by the question. 

“...A suit?” He said and I bursted into laughter. “What?”

“I meant like is it a slim or classic or even modern? Maybe you can even tell me the color.” I said and he looked genuinely confused. 

“What?” He said with his eyebrows scrunched up. “That’s a thing?” 

I tried my best to stifle my laughter, “You are serious, aren’t you?” 

“I thought only girls had to deal with the complexity of clothing!” He seemed so confused with a hint of embarrassment showing through in the redness of his cheeks.

“You just bought a suit, didn’t you?” I asked him and he nodded.

“Yes! What else am I supposed to do? I hope you know, only country boys probably know what you are talking about. Nobody checks that stuff out! I just picked a suit that made me look decent!” He started to giggle at the end of his rant and so did I. 

I parked and turned to him, “Okay then, I would like to know the color.” 

“It’s a dark royal blue. Not navy, but just a tad darker than royal.” He said, “Like the first suit Tony made me.” 

“Hmm, okay. Well good thing I know how well you pull that off.” I gave him a sly smile, “Also, nothing about you is just _decent_ , darling.” 

He started to blush so he immediately got out of the car and I rolled my eyes as I got out. 

I mean, a lot of people don’t like their own appearance, and it is mostly the cute ones who don’t. But they don’t dismiss it like he did. They either stay to argue or ‘say thank you’ just to get out of the conversation.

I followed him into the store/deli and he went up to the cat first like he always does.

“Hey, Mr. Delmar!” Peter greeted him with his normal cheerful way. 

“Hey, Peter.” He looked over my way and gave me a simple nod, “Harley.” He looked back at Peter, “The regular?” 

Peter smiled and nodded as he took out his wallet and placed the $5 bill on the counter. A couple minutes later, Mr. Delmar handed Peter his sandwich and Peter and him exchanged goodbyes. 

We walked out of the building and headed back to the car. I noticed a girl eyeing Peter across the street but I didn’t say anything, although it made my blood boil. I got into the car and I took him to his apartment. 

I parked right outside and looked over to see the sun was hitting him right through his glass window, lighting up his face. He looked perfect. 

“So, what time should I be there?” He asked me as he reached for his bookbag in the back seat. 

“Uh, 7:00.”

“Are you going to tell me what you are making?” He asked and I gave him a smirk as I shook my head. He gave me a little pout as he open his door and slid out. “Ok, then. I’ll be there at 7:00.” He waved goodbye as he disappeared into the building.

  
  
  


**Peter’s POV**

We haven’t told anyone. Harley seemed okay with that, but I don’t know if he actually was. And now that I think about it, he already is in danger just by knowing Tony Stark. But if it came out that he was dating Spider-Man, that could put him in the line of fire with _my_ enemies.

I try not to think about it, but quite a few people have gotten hurt because of me and not just as Spider-Man. I’ve hurt people as Peter Parker too.

But I have a date with Harley tonight. And that makes me happy. 

I could barely focus on the book I was reading because of my nerves. One of the downsides to being bit by that spider: all of my emotions and feelings, no matter what they are, have doubled in intensity. So it makes it hard on movie nights with May to not cry at those stupid dog movies. For example, we watched _The Blind Side_ a week ago. I cried 6 times within the first half of the movie. We watched that movie twice before I got bitten. The first time I shed a tear, but that was it. 

I looked up from my biophysics book and glanced at the clock. 5:30. I tossed my book onto my bed and decided to take a shower. 

I walked out of the bathroom with a towel around my waist and saw May at the table with a magazine and a cup of coffee.

“I thought you didn’t get off until 6:00 tonight?” I asked and she looked up and squinted her eyes at me.

“Honey, it’s 6:15.” She said and my eyes widened. 

“Oh!” I said as I walked as quickly as I could to my room without my towel falling off. 

“Why were you taking a bath at this time? You mostly wait until after you are done with your shift.” She called out to me as I opened up my closet.

“Harley and a few of my friends are having a party at Tony’s cabin.” I explained as I took out a nice dark green and burgundy colored plaid shirt with a light brown sweater to put over it and a pair of khakis. “It starts at 7:00 and I will be back around 9:45 probably.” 

“And you took a shower?” She asked with suspicion being heard through her voice.

“Well, I probably won’t be doing any Spider-Man stuff tonight so I decided to take it early.” I said. I mean, it wasn’t a lie.

“Oh, ok.” She said, “Why aren’t you guys just going to the game?” She asked and I had an answer ready for that like I do every year.

“Us nerds going to a football game? We are good. I don’t even know how the game works, May.” I explained.

I could hear her chuckle, “Yeah. Ben tried to explain it but you would have rather learned how the universe works than watch or play a football game with him.” I smiled at the multiple memories of Ben trying to get my attention with football. He gave up when I turned twelve.

I turned to my mirror and fixed my hair so I would look at least presentable for Harley. Although the swing to the cabin would probably mess it up. 

I opened my door and walked into the living room. May have me a weird look but then smiled.

“What type of party is this?” She asked, still eyeing my outfit. 

“A pre-homecoming one. Most people have the football game, we have our little nerd club.” I joked and she scoffed. I looked at the time, which said 6:20. I gave her a quick hug and started to make my way back to my room. “Get some sleep, May. You look exhausted.” 

“Hmm. As long as you aren’t out fighting bad guys then I think I will sleep just fine.” She said. 

“Bye!” I said as I closed my door and put on my coat. I threw on my webshooters and jumped out of my window.

The swing was a good 25 minutes and I swung over the gate of the property, hearing a muffled “Peter Parker: Full access” from FRIDAY’s voice. I walked the rest of the way to the house and before stepping onto the porch, I checked the time. 6:49. Not bad. 

I knocked on the door, as I felt my heart start racing like crazy and the freezing cold was not helping either. The door opened and there was Harley smiling back at me. He had on a nice navy blue button down shirt and a pair of khakis on with converse. I don’t think I had ever seen him in khakis. His hair was a little messy, but he seemed to have tried to tame it. I liked it messy anyways. 

He moved out of the doorway and I stepped in and took in the mouth watering smell of food and the warmth of the heater in the cabin. 

“Food smells really good.” I complimented as I took off my coat and hung it on the coat rack. I turned to him and he was just looking at me with a look I’ve seen multiple times, but couldn’t tell what it meant. “What?” I smiled.

He shrugged, “Just admiring you.”

That threw me off.

Admiration. It was admiration. 

I could feel a blush forming as I dipped my head. 

“I’m guessing you swung here?” He asked, changing the subject thankfully. 

I looked up and nodded. He shook his head with a small smile in his face. 

“It’s like, 20 degrees outside!” He exclaimed.

“37 degrees actually. It’s not even below freezing.” I said, although I was still slightly shivering. He must have noticed because he told me to go sit by the fireplace as he finished cooking dinner. 

He wouldn’t tell me what he was making. I kept going through all the foods I have had in my lifetime. It smelled... different than anything you would smell on the streets of New York. But it also smelled familiar. Not recent, but like something my mother would cook when I was younger. She would cook a lot of different dishes. I remember she had these elaborate stories about how she used to travel everywhere in the country before she had me. I am guessing that is where she got her cooking ideas from. I don’t remember a lot about her, but I do remember her food and the amazing smell of it. 

I could hear Harley shuffling out of the kitchen and into the dining area. I jumped off the couch and watched as he placed the cornbread down. He motioned for me to take a seat as he went back to the kitchen. 

“This recipe was my mother’s. She actually lived in Louisiana for a while before moving to Tennessee and meeting my dad. She made this all the time and I always loved it.” He said from the kitchen. He rounded the corner with two bowls and a smile on his face. He placed the bowl in front of me and I looked at it for a second before I smiled.

“Red beans and rice.” I grinned, “I knew it smelled familiar.” He went to sit down at the seat across from me and he looked at me as if to ask, where?

“My, uh, my mom used to make a bunch of foods from places she had travelled to.” I thought about it for a second. I remembered what she said to me, but I couldn’t picture her voice. “Anyways, she uh, she said she was sent down for business in New Orleans and... yeah.” _I couldn’t remember her voice._

I shook the thought from my head and smiled as I reached for a piece of cornbread. He seemed to catch that something was wrong but he didn’t mention it. 

I took a bite and damn, was it good. I looked up at him and gave him the most surprised face I could make. 

“I need to meet your mom.” I said and he laughed. 

“It’s that good?” He asked and I nodded as soon as he asked.

“It’s probably the best thing I’ve tasted in a while.” I said.

“You do know that you just ate at Delmars a few hours ago.” He said with a smirk.

“Yeah, I know.” We both laughed.

After we finished, I followed him to the kitchen to clean up. 

“You don’t have to clean up, Peter. I can take care of it.” He said.

“It’s fine, Harley. May and Ben taught me how to be a good person. I would hate for it all to have been for nothing.” I argued. 

“You are far more than a good person, Peter. You are the best person I know.” He said softly, taking a step closer to me so he was inches away from me. 

“Well, I don’t know about that.” I scoffed and he took my hand off the bowl I was cleaning and made me face him.

“You should.” He said with a soft smile on his face and I felt my heart skip a beat. 

He wrapped his arm around my waist to pull me closer as he connected our lips. The kiss was more passionate than any other kiss we had shared. I placed a hand against the side of his neck as my back hit the wall. I gasped and he took that as a chance to slip his tongue into my mouth and explore it freely. He slowly made his way down to my neck and started kissing right above my collarbone. I felt his hand tugging on the bottom hem of the sweater and I pulled him off just long enough to take it off. I attacked his lips as soon as I pulled it off and I could feel his hands quickly working to unbutton my shirt.

Everything was moving so fast. Faster than I could comprehend. His lips against mine, his hands taking off my buttoned shirt, and now his warm hands roaming my chest. It was wonderful and horrifying at the same time.

“Stop. Stop.” I was able to manage to get out and he pulled away immediately. He looked frightened that he overstep his boundaries. 

“Are you okay?” He asked with worry evident in his eyes. I nodded my head.

“I’m fine I just... I’ve never...” I couldn’t finish the sentence feeling to embarrassed.

“With a guy.” Harley tried to finish for me. I shook my head and cursed myself mentally.

“With anyone.” I corrected him and his eyes widened with what looked like surprise more than realization. “I’m sorry, it’s pathetic.”

“No! No, not at all.” He immediately tried to keep me from feeling embarrassed. “It’s just... are you waiting for—“

“No, I just... have never had someone who has liked me or well, actually I haven’t dated someone for more than 24 hours. Granted it has only been two people and... I’m ranting. Sorry I do that when I get nervous.” 

He smiled, “I’ve noticed. I’m just surprised really.” 

“Surprised that I’ve never... had sex?”

“That nobody has ever wanted to jump your bones.” He stated bluntly, “You are crazy good looking, darling.” 

I tried to control my blush as I buried my face in my hands. 

I heard him shuffling around and I looked up to see him handing me my shirt and sweater. 

“We don’t have to, Peter. In fact, I don’t want to until you are ready. I don’t want you to be pressured just because you think I want to. I don’t want to do it until you want to. Okay?” He looked at me with the most serious face I’ve seen on him. 

I nodded and smiled at him as a tear fell down. “I don’t deserve you.” I said and he looked at me with confusion as he wrapped me in a hug.

“Don’t ever say that, Peter. If anything, I don’t deserve you.” He whispered and I chuckled. “I do have one question.” 

“Hmm?” I pulled out of the hug.

“How did you get so jacked? I’ve never seen you actually work out.” He asked, looking at my abs. 

“I’m not jacked.” I chuckled and then shrugged, “Once I woke up the day after being bitten, they were there. I don’t know.” 

He looked at me in awe as I giggled and started to button up my shirt. 

“You don’t look too bad, either.” I giggled and he smirked. I pulled him closer and put my lips to his ear. “And just so you know, I would jump you bones right now if I didn’t have to be home by 9:45.” I whispered and pulled away to see a speechless and wide eyed Harley. I was pretty proud of myself. I looked at my watch to see the time that showed 9:20. 

“I’ve gotta go, but this was probably one of the best nights I have had in a while.” I made my way to the door and took my coat. He followed me out into the porch. 

“I’m glad you liked my cooking.” He smiled. 

“No. I liked you mother’s cooking.” I smirked and he rolled his eyes. 

“It’s really cold out. Are you sure you don’t want a ride?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine, Harley.” I said as I put on my web shooters that I stored into my coat. “Thanks again, for tonight. It was wonderful.” 

He smiled as he stepped forward and gave me a quick kiss. “Night, babe.” 

“Babe?” I repeated and I couldn’t hold back a grin.

“I was just trying it out. Hmm. I don’t really like it. It’s not really my style.” He laughed. 

“Night, Harley.” I smiled as I jumped up and swung away.

I closed my bedroom window as softly as I could and shucked off my coat and shirt. I got into some sweatpants, too lazy to be bothered putting on another shirt. 

I walked into the kitchen to get some water to see May in the dim light reading a book with a cup of coffee in her hands. She looked up to see me and jumped a little.

“God, Peter!” May put a hand to her chest and let out a laugh. 

I smiled as I got a glass out of the cabinet and turned on the sink, waiting for it to get to the coldest temperature it could get. As soon as i filled it up, I sat down next to May. 

“So how was the party?” She asked. 

“It was good. We had a good time and—“ I looked over to see her eyes widen. 

“What? What’s wrong, May?” I asked looking around making sure I didn’t miss a threat, and then her hand landed on the spot where not too long ago Harley’s mouth was. My eyes widened as I ran to my room, not even bothering to make eye contact with her.

“Peter Benjamin Parker!” Her voice could be heard, not too loud to wake up the neighbors but loud enough for me to hear it. I threw on a shirt and turned around to see her standing in my doorway.

“You have something you want to tell me?” She asked with a scary calm voice and I smile as if she was enjoying this. Was she enjoying this? Was she mad? She doesn’t seem mad.

“No?” I said with a fake smile and she did not look impressed.

“Peter, this isn’t anything like what you would do. Who were you with?” She asked.

“Harley.” I said, not seeing the point in lying.

“Peter, don’t lie to me—“

“I’m not.” I whispered but I know she caught it. My throat got dry as I refused to look at her. I felt a tear fall down my face as I continued to look at the ground, “There was no party. Harley cooked for me. We haven’t told anyone because I haven’t told you or anyone that I’m—“ I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, “That I like guys.” 

I felt two skinny arms wrap around me and squeeze me tightly. 

“Pete, you don’t ever have to be afraid of who you are in this household, okay? I’m so proud of you.” She smiled and then her whole demeanor changed to serious, “Did you guys have protection or...?”

“No! We didn’t do... that. Can we please talk about something else?” I laughed. 

“Well, is he at least a good cook?” She asked and I smirked.

“Better than you.” I teased and she hit my arm. 

“Watch yourself, Peter.” She pointed a finger at me and I held my hands up in a mocking surrender. “Wow, I can’t believe I didn’t realize.”

“Well it didn’t become official until yesterday. But we have been dancing around each other this entire week.” I smiled.

“You really like him do you?” She asked me.

I nodded with a big grin on my face, “Yeah, I do.”

“Okay, well I’m going to bed. You need to go to bed too. You have a big day tomorrow.” She said. 

“Night, May.” I closed my door and looked in the mirror. The hickey was father up than I thought. “Dammit!” 

Looks like I am going to be ransacking May’s makeup tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bunch of fluff, little bit of angst. In the comics, Peter’s parents are CIA agents but then in the movies, Peter’s father is painted as this scientist. So I put it in the middle: His mother used to be a CIA agent (but Peter doesn’t know that) and his father was a scientist who worked closely with the CIA. So yeah.
> 
> Expect more from this upcoming week since I am out for Christmas Break!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! It’s been more of a hectic week than I was planning so that is why the update was slower than I said it was going to be.

  
**Harley’s POV**

The last time I went to a homecoming dance, I was in the ninth grade and I went with a girl in my class that was I believed was nice. At the time, everyone already knew I was gay and hated me for it, except for my best friend, Brooke. By the end of the night, she was dancing with a senior and I was left alone. I remember hating myself for thinking that the girl was actually interested in me and not noticing it was a joke that everyone was in on. So, no wonder why I was totally on board with coming to New York to live with Tony instead of staying in my shitty hometown.  
  


I know Peter isn’t anything like the students from beck home. But sometimes I do have the fear that maybe I will turn into a joke once again. 

I am supposed to pick up Peter and his friends at 6:00, since the dance starts at 6:30.

I didn’t bring any suits when I moved, so last week I had to go out and get one. It’s a Champagne color suit and bow tie with a vest with a white button down and black dress shoes. I decided to actually try to tame my hair, but I refused to put gel in it no matter how many times Tony suggested it. It was a little frizzy and messy, but I know that Peter likes it that way anyways. 

I picked up my phone after it pinged from a text.

Peter

_May knows. U should really place ur hickeys a little lower.  
_

_I’m sorry but is it really my fault?_

_Ur the one who gave me it.  
_

_Fair point. Picking u up first. Omw_

I smiled as I walked out of my room and made my way to the elevator.

“Have a good time!” Tony and Pepper said simultaneously.

“Bye, Harls!” Morgan said in a squeaky voice. 

“Bye, Morgs.” I blew her a kiss and the elevator door closed behind me. 

“Enjoy your evening, Harley.” FRIDAY said and I thanked her. I got into my car and made my way to Queens. 

I stopped outside the apartment and took a deep breath before I stepped out of the car.

I got to his apartment number and knocked with my heart racing 100 miles an hour. May answered the door and gave me a smile.

“He will be out in a sec. He is putting on some of my concealer on his neck.” She smirked and my eyes widened as I opened my mouth to say something but nothing would come out. I just nodded as she motioned for me to come in.

There was a moment of awkward silence before she broke it.

“I’m proud it’s you.” 

“W-what?” I stuttered out, confused.

“But if you break him, I’ll break you.” She said with the most serious face I have ever seen on her. 

“Y-yeah.” 

“Stop trying to scare him off, May.” I heard Peter say. I turned to his bedroom door being opened to see the most perfect human being standing in front of me. I couldn’t help but smile as I could see his face turning red. 

He was wearing a darkish sapphire suit and tie with a dark pink handkerchief in his suit pocket. The suit was clearly fitted to show off his slim figure and he probably looked the hottest he has ever in that suit. 

“Wow.” Was all I could manage out as he giggled.

“You don’t look too bad yourself.” He said, with his blush finally fading away. 

“I need a picture!” May squealed from behind me. 

“May!” Peter whined and she guided me over to Peter so she could take a picture. 

It didn’t take long for us to slowly make our way out of the apartment with May tearing up about 3 times during her monologue about how great we look together and how wonderful we are. 

“You boys behave, okay?” She pointed a finger at both of us, “Have fun!” 

When we got into the car, Peter told me that MJ lived a couple of blocks away from him. He gave me the directions and we were there in about 5 minutes. I honked the horn and turned to Peter and just looked at him.

“What?” He asked in a whiny voice.

“Why do I need a reason to look at you? It’s not my fault you look perfect.” I said and he rolled his eyes. “I could always show you how perfect you are.” I suggested and his cheeks started to redden. 

“MJ‘s coming stop it.” He said as he let go of my hand that I didn’t realize he was holding. 

I heard the door open and looked behind the passenger seat. “Hey.” 

She gave us both a suspicious look before getting in. She looked really nice. It was the first time I had seen her wear makeup and she was in a dark pink dress that was fluffy but cut off before her knees. That would explain the handkerchief Peter had. 

“Ned doesn’t live too far either.”

“I know I’ve been there.” I explained and Peter just looked at me with confusion. 

“What? You were busy swinging around and he wanted someone to play some video games with.” I said defending myself and MJ jumped in.

“Okay guys, spill.” She said. 

Am I really that easy to read?

Peter tried his best to be taken back by the question.

“W-what? What are you talking about? There’s nothing to spill.” Peter said very quickly. 

No. I’m not easy to read. But Peter is. 

“Something weird is going on. Y’all are hiding something.” She explained. 

She doesn’t know.

“Well, there isn’t anything that I can think of.”I said before Peter could dig us into a deeper hole. 

She raised an eyebrow at me as I pulled into Ned’s driveway.

Once Ned got into the car, the awkwardness left. 

“I was thinking after the dance, you know how everyone has after parties? What if we had our own? Just the 4 of us?” Ned started rambling as we made our way to the school.

“I’m probably going to be crazy tired so it’s a no for me.” MJ said.

“Yeah, same. Sorry Ned.” I said as I got stopped at a red light. 

“That’s ok. Peter what are you doing tomorrow?” Ned asked Peter.

“I’m taking Harley to the Botanical Garden in the Bronx tomorrow. He really wants to go and I’d like to use my camera again.” Peter said. I didn’t say anything, but we talked about that a few weeks ago like once, but that was it. 

Did he just set up a date on the spot?

“Wait, I thought you said you quit Photography club because you didn’t like it.” Ned said and Peter frowned.

“Yeah, I quit it for the same reason I quit marching and robotics. I didn’t have time after becoming Spider-Man. I loved it, but just didn’t have time.” Peter explained.

“You did photography?” I asked, intrigued.

“Yeah he did. And he was a boss with a camera.” Ned said and Peter scoffed.

“Yeah, sure.” He rolled his eyes and I smiled as I turned into the school’s parking lot. 

MJ and Ned stepped out of the car and I gave one last look to Peter as I got out. I straightened out my suit and me and Peter followed behind MJ and Ned. 

“Oh, God is that music loud.” Peter said halfway through the lot where I couldn’t hear a sound except for Peter’s statement.

“You okay?” I asked and he nodded.

“I’ll be fine.” He said as we made it up the steps to the front doors of the school. 

We went into the gym where not many people had made it yet and Peter’s face lit up in amazement. 

“My God.” He smiled looking at all the decorations we made that were hung up and all around the gym. There were red and blue stage lights that were swinging from stage poles and webs strewn everywhere. It was beautiful. I really hope he was proud of himself for all the people he has touched and saved. I knew it was unlikely that he would take any credit for anything, even though he is Spider-Man. 

“This looks amazing!” Ned said with a surprised face. I glanced over at Peter who wandered off to one of the walls in the back. 

I walked up behind him to see what caught his eye. It was a bunch of drawings and art and pictures of Spider-Man. Even as Peter Parker, still caring about the people he has impacted, just not bragging about it like I believe anyone else would. 

I smiled softly and walked up beside him as he just continued to look at the art. 

“Betty told me she got all of them from people who you have saved. Most of the letters are thank yous. She did have to throw away the ones that were too friendly.” I smirked.

“How did she get all these?” He asked, running his hand over a letter that came with a picture of a little girl and what seems to be her father.

I chuckled, “It’s Betty.” He scoffed at that. “But I also think she got help from Flash since he is so involved with anything Spider-Man.” 

“This... is...” I could hear his voice crack as he was trying to not cry. “Amazing.” 

“You’re amazing.” I replied and he turned to me and opened his mouth as if he was about to say something. 

“Alright, guys! Let’s get this party started!” The DJ’s voice boomed throughout the gym. and I looked around to see the gym with way more people than before. He changed the music to more of an upbeat EDM song that I didn’t recognize. Probably because I don’t listen to that type of music.

“Hey guys!” We turned around from the art to see Betty in a pretty light blue dress, smiling at us.

“Hey, Betty!” Peter said, “This dance is wonderful!” 

“Thanks, Peter. I couldn’t have pulled this all off without you guys though.” Betty glanced at the artwork on the wall. “Pretty crazy, huh?” 

“Hm?” I questioned.

“The letters and the art all put together to create a whole new piece of art. MJ helped me put it together after I asked Flash to use his social media influence to get people to start talking about their experiences with meeting him. It is crazy how many people he has touched and inspired, even.” Betty looked at the art in awe. She turned back to me, “Hey, you know Spider-Man, don’t you?” 

“Uh, kinda. I see him around sometimes.” I lied and glanced at Peter to flash him a smirk, “Why?”

“I want to find a way to get this to him. I mean, the whole thing is pretty much just a bunch of people wanting to thank him for what he does and how much they appreciate it. I won’t have any need for it afterwards anyways.” She shrugged.

“Are you sure?” Peter asked and then Betty tilted her head in confusion at his question. “I-I mean, it is really beautiful and MJ worked really hard on it and—“ 

“Yes, I’m sure Peter.” She replied, cutting him off before sighing, “Just meet me after the dance and I can help get it into your car.” 

“Okay.” I said and she walked off as the song changed to a better known pop song. I turned back to Peter and he was just smiling at me. “What?” 

“Nothing. Let’s go find Ned and MJ.” He said grabbing my hand and pulling me into the now huge crowd of people. He stopped for a second and then changed direction, still pulling me along. After a few seconds, we finally made our way right in front of them.

“Where did you guys go?” Ned asked and Peter apologized for splitting up. I caught MJ looking down and I realized our hands were still intertwined. I immediately pulled my hand back and MJ smirked at me. 

“Do you guys want any punch? I’m gonna go get some punch.” I said and immediately turned around to the punch bowl table, avoiding MJ’s gaze. 

I finally ended up out of the crowd of people and saw that over to the side was the punch bowl and cookies. I walked over there and somebody crashed into me. I pulled away to see it was one of the girls from my physics class. I almost didn’t recognize her because she didn’t have her glasses on and she wore makeup, which she never did.

“Oh, hey, Tina. I thought you weren’t coming.” I said and she giggled as she swayed back and forth. She was drunk.

“Yeah, I wasn’t going to, but then I heard you were coming!” She gave me the biggest grin she could as she flirted with me. I kind of felt bad because Tina was known for her smarts, but here she was, in front of me, drunk and totally not herself. 

“Are you okay?” I said as I placed a hand on her arm, catching her before she fell. 

“Hmm. Better now.” She giggled and placed a hand in my chest, which I peeled her hand off. She pouted out her lip as if she was a child. 

“Do you need me to call somebody? To get you home?” 

“Why would I go home when I’ve got everything I need right in front of me?” She said trying to place her hand against my chest again. I started to get irritated as I pulled her hand off of me for the second time. She rolled her eyes, “Oh come on, Harley. Stop playing hard to get.” I pushed her away from me, but kept my hand on her arm to steady her.

“I’m not playing hard to get. I’m gay.” I said with hostility in my voice, not actually mad, but trying to get her to understand. Her eyes widened.

“Oh shit, Harley. I’m sorry. I— I didn’t know.” Her entire face turned red. “I feel so stupid.”

“You shouldn’t. I haven’t told anyone here.” I gave her a half smile, “Where did you get alcohol?” I asked and she looked at me as if she was offended, clearly sobering up a little.

“What do you mean? I haven’t drunken a drop of alcohol in my life. It’s disgusting, let alone illegal.” Tina said and I smirked. There was the Tina I knew. She could finally stand by herself.

“Did you drink _anything_ tonight?” I asked and she pointed to the punch bowl. 

“I drank a few cups of that.” She said and her eyes widened in realization. “Oh shit! Was I drunk?” 

“Eh, I think a little more than drunk.” I smiled and she let out a nervous laugh.

“I think I’m gonna go home now.” She said and turned around.

“Hey!” I called out and she turned back around. “Could you... not tell anyone yet? I’m kinda seeing someone at the moment but he doesn’t want people to know yet and—“

“Your secret is safe with me.” She smiled, “Have a good night, Harley.” 

“You too. Please get someone to drive for you.” I smiled at her and then looked back at the spiked punch bowl. I went over to it and put it over the trash can and spilled it out before returning back to my friends. 

“What happened to the punch?” Peter asked.

“Turns out it had been spiked.” I said and Peter shook his head.

“Probably Tyler and his gang.” Ned said and Peter nodded in agreement.

We stood there in silence for a second before the next song came on and Peters eyes lit up.

Peter gasped, “I love this song!” He took my hand once more and motioned for Ned and MJ to follow, who were now both looking at us weirdly. 

He pulled me through the crowd and MJ and Ned followed behind closely. Ned started dancing and was followed by Peter and MJ. I started to awkwardly dance with them, but I was having fun, and isn’t that what it is all about? 

I glanced over to Peter who was jumping up and down and singing along to the lyrics. 

As the song ended, Peter looked at me and smiled as I smiled back. The song changed to a slower song and I glanced around to see Ned and MJ leaving the crowd and all the couples getting together to sway and dance together. I looked back to where Peter was standing, but he was right next to me and he placed his hand on my shoulder. 

“What are you doing?” I asked him, smiling. 

He shrugged, “You said you wanted at least one dance with me.” 

I felt my smile get bigger as I wrapped my arm around his waist pulling him closer. I could feel his heat radiating off of me as I could see him blushing through the red and blue lights. 

He stepped on my feet a couple of times, but got the hang of it halfway through the song. After the song ended he looked up at me and gave me the most perfect smile that I felt like I would remember forever. He motioned for me to follow him out of the crowd as the next upbeat song came on. I followed him over to Ned and MJ.

We all went over to the punch bowl table where the punch had been restored. I got a cup for Peter and then for myself and Ned and MJ got their own. MJ went over to the cookies and took several. 

“These taste like the cookies my grandmother used to make.” MJ chuckled and Peter smiled at her.

“Betty’s mom made them.” Flash came up from behind me and looked at Peter and gave him a small smile. For some reason I felt angry at that, but let it go almost immediately.

Flash cleaned up very nicely, something I wasn’t expecting. He was wearing a burgundy colored suit, I’m guessing since he knew the theme of the dance before everyone else did. He had his hair pulled back into a bun and kept giving Peter side glances. I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me uneasy, but then again, he hated Peter until very recently. 

“Well, it was really thoughtful of her mom to do that.” I said, not having anything else to say other than stay away from Peter. 

I knew it was unreasonable to be feeling angry at Flash, but I couldn’t help it. If he even did start liking Peter, it would be because he found out he was Spider-Man. And I’m not okay with that. 

“I tried to ask my mom when Betty was asking for people to help with snacks but my mom just yelled at me.” He joked. But then I saw Peter flinch and give an empathetic look at Flash. _Oh_.

“So, what are you guys doing after the dance? My parents are gone on a business trip right now and so my house is free if you guys wanna have some fun.” Flash said and then again, Peter gave him another sympathetic expression. I knew what type of fun he was wanting to have. It was booze. Back when I was a dick to Peter, I went to one of these parties he had. I mean, it was fun. 

“Not tonight. I’m already tired.” I lied and Peter nodded his head. 

“But maybe another time.” Peter gave him a genuine smile and Flash returned it. 

“Okay that’s fine. You guys enjoy the rest of your night!” Flash said before he was gone. 

“That was weird.” Ned said and Peter frowned before erasing any sympathy or sadness from his face. 

“Okay, guys! This is the last song before we wrap it up tonight!” The DJ’s voice boomed through the speakers. It was one last upbeat pop song that caused MJ to be the one to drag us out into the crowd. 

We danced and sang the song. I did not realize how awful all of us are at singing. I guess that’s just one thing Peter can’t do perfectly then. Although it is still cute.

We laughed all the way back to the car thinking back to when Ned fell flat on his ass while dancing. 

“Who is going home first?” I asked and Ned pointed to himself.

“I am so tired, guys.” Ned laughed and we all smiled. 

While we pulled out of the school’s parking lot, MJ asked me a question.

“Wait, how did you know that punch was spiked?”

“You are asking me that now?” 

She shrugged, “Just was thinking back to it.” 

“Well, let’s just say, Tina can’t handle her liquor well.” I smirked and Peters eyes went wide.

“She got drunk?!” Ned gasped.

“Yeah she said she drank a bunch of the punch when I asked her if she had any alcohol to drink tonight.” 

“How could you tell she was drunk?” 

“Her confidence levels skyrocketed and well, she isn’t the most subtle flirt.” I continued to smile smugly before Peters smile disappeared. “I kept her hands off of me! She felt really embarrassed after I told her I wasn’t interested.”

“Oh, what? Do you prefer blondes?” MJ joked.

“No, I prefer guys.” I said as if it was a known fact. And I looked in the mirror to see her and Ned’s eyes go wide.

“W-wha really?” Ned looked so surprised and Peter shrunk down in his seat a little. 

I could see MJ looking between Peter and me and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. But she didn’t say anything, just kept smirking. 

I pulled into Ned’s driveway and he got out and we exchanged goodbyes. As soon as he left the car, MJ unbuckled and sat right int the middle, with her head poking out next to us. 

“So... how long?” MJ asked and I rolled my eyes.

“How long what?” I asked, letting my anger show, although it wasn’t out of frustration of not knowing what she was talking about but out of anger for letting myself come out of the closet in a fucking car so she could piece it together. 

She smirked as she tilted her head towards Peter. “Peter?” 

“It’s only been a few days.” He said softly before sitting up in his seat.

“Why are y’all keeping it a secret?” MJ asked.

“That’s your question? Not where did this come from?” I scoffed.

She shrugged, “I mean, I already suspected that you were gay, just in the closet, I never expected it from Peter, though.” 

“How did you suspect I was?” 

“Ever since that day you put on that smug grin and told me that I wasn’t your type.” MJ said and I nodded in understanding.

“I don’t want anyone to know at the moment, okay?” Peter said, seeming frustrated that there was yet another person knowing our secret. 

I looked back at her, “Also, I was never in the closet. You guys just never asked.” 

“Wow.” MJ smirked, “I feel kinda stupid now.” 

“You shouldn’t.” I said as I turned into her driveway. “Now get out so I can make out with my boyfriend.” I joked and she scrunched up her face. 

“Don’t do that anywhere near my house.” She said as she got out. 

I exited the driveway and then made my way to his apartment building.

“So... I didn’t expect you to take charge and plan a date for us tomorrow.” I smirked over at him and his face went red. 

“Well, I was just thinking about that conversation we had and I would really like to pick up my camera again.” He shrugged. And I just gave him a smile. “What?” 

“I just didn’t think you could get more dorky.” I teased and he rolled his eyes.

“Whatever you say, country boy.” He scoffed and I gave him my best offended look. 

“Don’t worry, darlin. It is adorable.” I smirked and he rolled his eyes again.

“So, what all do you have planned for us tomorrow, darlin?” I glanced at him to see him shrug.

“I thought maybe it would be nice to go to the botanical garden. It is really beautiful and a perfect place to get back into photography.” 

“Well I can’t wait to see how much of a beast you are with a camera.” I replied, pulling onto the curb next to a meter so I could take him up to his apartment. 

He took his key and unlocked his door to the apartment.

“And here I thought your only mode of entrance was through windows.” I joked and he hit my arm playfully. I looked around the empty apartment and frowned, “Where’s May?” 

“She decided to work some overtime since she knew I was going to be out later.” He explained and I nodded. 

“Well, I am going to go since it is almost ten and I told Pepper I would be home by 11:30.” I said and he came up to me and put his arms around my waist. 

“Hmm. What a shame.” He gave me a sinful grin as he captured his lips with mine for a quick second. He then untangled his hands from me but I pulled him back in for a deeper kiss. He hummed, “I thought you had to get going.” 

“Good point.” I said pulling away, even though I definitely didn’t want to. He pouted out his lips and I smirked, leaning in for one more kiss before heading to the door. 

“I’ll come pick you up around noon tomorrow.” I said as I opened the door.

“I thought I was in control of the date!” Peter argued. I looked up at the ceiling as if I was thinking.

“Hmm. I’ll think about it.” I teased and he crossed his arms and put on a sassy face. “Fine. It’s not like I even know where I’m taking you. I hope you are a good tour guide across New York because most days I still get lost.” 

Peter smiled, “Okay. Noon it is.” 

I walked out of the building probably the happiest I have ever felt in my life. It made me so happy that I had the most perfect man in this world as my boyfriend and—

Oh fuck. I was so in love with Peter Parker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know if you guys have any ideas or anything. I love to hear y’all’s input on things! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s late again! I know that I said y’all would get a few chapters during the holidays, but it’s been crazy lately. Sorry. I hope you enjoy anyways though!

  
**Peter’s POV**

“MAY! HAVE YOU SEEN MY CAMERA?”

May appeared by my door, “Are you sure it survived the blip?” 

“No, but Ned bought me a new one for my birthday. Harley is going to be here soon and I need my camera. Oh! Found it!” I said finding it from behind the art MJ gave me for my birthday on my shelf. I hadn’t touched it since, but it was the same make of my old one, just a newer version. 

“So, where are you guys going?” 

“Um, we are going to the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx.” I said as I looked into the lens of my camera to make sure everything was working.

“Ooo. How romantic.” May said melodically.

I rolled my eyes, “Wow, May. Really mature.” 

“Be safe, okay? I have to go to work in about 30 minutes and my shift will end at 9 so make sure he gets you dinner or something.”

“How long do you think this date is going to last?” I asked her.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. What are y’all planning to do afterwards?” She smirked and I gave her a deadly glare. 

I heard a knock on the door and grabbed Ben’s briefcase which I stored my laptop and my camera in as I moved passed her.

“Are you not bringing your suit?” May chirped at me as I made my way to the door.

“I have no reason to bring it.” I said as I opened the door being met face to face with Harley in jeans and a gray sweater with a matching beanie.

“Hey.” I smiled and he waved shyly at May who was behind me. I gave her a hug before closing the door behind us. 

“So...” he said as we just stood next to the door for a few seconds.

I scratched the back of my neck and motioned for him to take the lead. He chuckled as we made our way out of the building. 

“So, I have a nice lunch planned out but other than that, you are in charge, darlin.” He explained as we got into the car. I could feel my cheeks heat up as I nodded.

“Good.” I smiled. He started the car and we got onto the street headed to the Bronx. “You know, I’ve only been to the garden twice that I remember. Ben had a picture of me with my parents there, although I don’t remember that. But I do remember when Ben and May took me there a few years ago. It is really beautiful, you are gonna love it.” 

He gave me a grin as he made a turn. “Well, I can’t wait.” I smiled at him as he took off his beanie, making his hair appear even more messy. 

I tilted my head, “I smell turkey.” I turned my head to the back seat to see a picnic basket in it. I gasped, “Aw, Harley! This is so cute!” 

He scoffed, “Damn you and your powers.”

“I know a perfect spot we can sit to eat.” I giggled. “Although, we are probably gonna have to eat first. I’m starving.” 

“When did you eat breakfast?” He asked me.

I shrugged, “About 3 hours.”

“Then you aren’t starving, you baby.” He playfully rolled his eyes.

“About that, I do have to consume like triple the amount of calories you would have to on a daily basis so...” I replied and he just looked at me in awe. 

“Again. Damn you and your powers.” He smirked and I giggled. 

“It isn’t that bad. That’s what Dr. Cho says I need, but I almost never consume that much. School and teenager stuff and then with Spidey business piled on top of that, it makes it hard.”

“Does Dr. Cho know?” He raised his eyebrow and I frowned as I slowly shook my head. He then shook his head in disappointment, “Peter...” 

“Let’s not talk about that right now. Have you talked to your sister lately? I would really like to meet her, even if it’s over Skype.” I asked and he smiled.

“She’s doing good. She is keeping up with her grades and her new best friend is her roommate or whatever.” His eyes widened, “Oh, shit! Her birthday is in two weeks! I haven’t even gotten her a gift yet.”

I laughed, “When is it?” 

“November 6th.” He said. It is October 25th. 

“Well, it’s not actually in two weeks. It’s actually in 12 days.” I said.

“That’s not helping, Peter!” He chuckled, “I have no idea what to get her.” 

I shrugged, “Well, you could always get her a plane ticket or something.” 

“That’s a good idea, actually.” He smiled. 

“When is your birthday?” I asked him.

“November 29th.” He said. 

“Well, I hate that I only have a month to prepare!” I said, playfully hitting his arm.

“Yeah, now you know my pain!” He laughed.

“You missed the turn.” I said and he looked at me confused.

“You think you know better than Siri?” He turned to me when the light turned red at the intersection.

“Uh, yeah. I swing on these streets. If you took that street back there we would be there two minutes faster.” I said as if it was a known fact.

“You are too smart for your own good, Parker.” He said as the Siri told him to take a right at the last second. I stifled a laugh.

“Why does Siri do that?!” He exclaimed as I couldn’t hold back my laughter anymore. He threw me a glare.

“I’m sorry, it just clicked with me. You have never really needed to use a GPS until you moved here.” I smirked. “Aw, my poor country boy.” 

He pursed his lips trying to keep from smiling. We parked in the huge parking lot that was mostly empty. It was a Sunday, though.

He got out of the car and his mouth dropped. “Wow.” He said in amazement as he looked at the gigantic glass dome. 

I took my glasses out of the briefcase and put them on. I looked over to see Harley put back on his beanie and take the basket out of the back seat. He stared at me and smiled. 

“What?” I asked.

“Glasses suit you.” He smiled as he made his way over to me and kissed me. 

“Thanks.” I took my camera out and smiled. 

We walked up to the ticket booth and there was a very unenthusiastic guy sitting behind it. 

“Tickets.” He said and I placed two tickets in front of him. As he motioned for us to go through the gate, Harley gave me a weird look. 

“You bought in advance?” He asked me as he walked beside me. I nodded as I took his hand in mine which earned me a big grin on Harley’s face. 

We walked over to a nice grassy spot right next to an oak tree and placed the blanket down. We sat down as he opened up the basket to show turkey sandwiches and chocolate covered strawberries. And he took out wine glasses and a bottle.

“Don’t worry, it’s sparkling cider.” He smiled and I chuckled. 

“Chocolate covered strawberries?” I raised my eyebrows as I took one and plopped it in my mouth.

“I heard they were the most romantic of foods.” He gave me a soft smile as he slightly shrugged his shoulders. 

“Well, that’s probably the cutest thing you have done.” I said and he playfully rolled his eyes. 

“This feels good.” He said out of nowhere.

“What does?” I asked.

“Being out in the open, with you. Being able to hold you hand.” he took my hand, “just being able to show you off, even it is in front of strangers who give us weird looks.” 

I leaned forward to give him a kiss on his cheek. “I like this too.” 

He stared at me for a second with loving eyes before he changed the subject.

“Okay.” He clapped his hands together, “Question time. What is your favorite band?” 

“Ooo. That’s hard. There are so many great ones. There’s the Steve Miller Band, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles... oh! AC/DC!” 

“Okay, you just described an entire genre of music, along with the era, but I think I get it.” He chuckled. 

“Ok then, who is your favorite band?” I asked him as I took another strawberry. 

“Hmm. Florida Georgia Line.” He said with the straightest face. 

“Wait. Are you serious?” I asked and he bursted in laughter.

“No! But I just had to see you face when I said that!” He continued to laugh for another entire minute. “I think I’m like you. I don’t have a favorite one.”

“Okay, my turn.” I said as I picked up a sandwich. “Favorite... sci-fi movie.” 

“Back to the Future. Hands down. It’s just a good nostalgic movie.” He said and I teasingly frowned.

“Wrong answer. It’s The Empire Strikes Back.” 

“There is no wrong answer! It’s my answer! And also, I kinda already suspected yours would be a Star Wars movie.” He snickered, “You and Ned are probably the biggest nerds I know when it comes to Star Wars. Although, you are much more adorable.”

“Hmm. Nice save.” 

“I know. I’m just good like that.”

“You ruined it, Keener.” I clicked my tongue as I looked up through the rim of my glasses to see him smiling at me. _That damn smile_.

“Okay, you ready?” He asked as I finished my sparkling cider. I nodded and took the basket and ran to the car to put it up. The ticket guy just nodded for me to go in thankfully. He really seems like he didn’t even want to be there. I smiled as I saw Harley waiting at the entrance of the building. I took out my camera and took a picture of him which earned me a confused expression. 

I took his hand in mine as we made our way into the indoor garden. His eyes widened at the overwhelming amount of plants and flowers. 

“Wow.” He gasped and I pulled him along to the stairs for us to go up. I could see a woman with a little girl looking at us weirdly but I ignored it.

“It’s looks even better from a higher view.” I smiled. I stopped and picked up my camera from my neck strap. I looked down from the glass railing and looked down at the big pillar of vines climbing up it. I moved around a little to get good lighting and snapped the photo. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I looked over my shoulder to see him just staring at me with a soft smile.

“Beautiful.” He nodded. I turned back to the railing as I felt my cheeks heat up. 

“Did you know that the building was built in 1891? I mean, of course it has been renovated multiple times since then, but that’s why its architecture was inspired by the Victorian Era. Also, the building would not have been possible without Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and a few other robber barons that helped fund the construction. Of course, the Haupt Conservatory, which is the one we are in, is actually the biggest and most known part of the Botanical Gardens.” I started rambling and stopped once I turned around to see Harley just quietly snickering. 

“Wow. I don’t think I have ever met anyone who does as extensive research as you do on a building that they go to for a date.” He explained.

I shrugged, “I didn’t do research. There was an engraving right next to the ticket booth. And one down there at the entrance.” 

He scoffed, “Again, only you would read that. But it’s cute.” I crossed my arms and pouted.

“You think everything I do is cute.” I corrected him.

“Because it is.” He smirked. 

I rolled my eyes as I moved towards the glass pane window with green vines creeping up to the roof. I picked up my camera and took a picture of the shining sun through the window with the vines blocking some of the light. 

I turned back to Harley as he said he was ready to go on a walk through the rest of the park, which was filled with multiple gardens.

As we started walking, he took my hand into his and smiled.

I took my camera out again as we came near a tiny pond. I squatted down and took a picture of the water and angled the camera to put a tree with dying leaves in the frame. I captured the photo with a single leaf falling down towards the pond. 

“If you think Tony would be okay with it, I would like to download my photos to my portfolio at the cabin. My internet sucks.” 

“You have a portfolio?” Harley raised his eyebrow. 

“Yeah. I mean, it’s probably not that good, but the photography club made it a requirement and I just keep adding them.” I smirked, “I even have a secret Spider-Man portfolio.”

“Really? Now I have to see both of them.” Harley smiled, “I’ll even cook you dinner tonight.” 

“Ah, such the gentleman.” I teased as I stood up and pressed my lips to his cheek. 

“If we leave now, I can have you home before 8. I mean, that is if you wanted to leave.” He put on a smug smile. 

“Hmm. Tempting offer.” I grinned, “I’m in.”

“Okay, then. Let’s go.” He smiled as we turned around and made our way to the visitors entrance.

  
**Harley’s POV**

  
Once we got to the lake house, FRIDAY let us in through the gate and we went in to escape from the freezing cold. 

Peter took off his coat and scarf and placed his bag on the table behind the couch. I looked at the bag to see the initials BFP. I was wondering why he carried around an old worn-out briefcase. It’s because it was his uncles.

He went to the fireplace and took a match to get the fire going. 

“The sun will be going down soon, if you want to watch.” Peter said and then turned to me, “What are you gonna be making?” 

“I was thinking maybe something simple like, spaghetti.” I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist and placed a kiss to his forehead. Peter hummed with delight as I dipped a little lower to connect our lips. He placed a hand against my chest as he deepened the kiss further. I pulled away and smiled, “I should probably get started on cooking.” 

“Oh, yeah.” He said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He opened his bag and pulled out his laptop and camera. “I’m gonna go ahead and uh— yeah.” He awkwardly explained and went around to sit on the couch. 

“I have everything ready, just waiting on the breadsticks.” I told him and he just nodded, clearly focused on fixing up a photo he took. 

“Can I uh— can I see it?” I immediately regretted my word choice, “The photos, I mean!” _Good save._

He smiled as he gave me the laptop so I could scroll through them.

“These are great, Peter!” I exclaimed and he just shrugged. 

“There used to be this guy name Derrick and he was the president of the photography club and his were like, crazy good. He didn’t blip, so he is already almost done with his masters in Photography and he could most definitely be classified as an artist.” 

I just looked at him in shock. He totally just dismissed my compliment.

I continued to scroll down through his photos when my eyes stopped on a photo with a guy in a red and blue suit flying through the air.

“Oh my God, how did you do this?” I asked as I showed him the photo I was looking at. 

“Uh, it was harder than it looks. It took me roughly 60 times to get it right.” He giggled, “I used a remote to take it.” 

“It looks amazing.” I smirked, “You know what would be hilarious?” 

He frowned, “What?” 

“Well, J. Jonah Jameson reuses like the same 4 photos of Spider-Man for his bitchy whining articles.” I looked up at him and I watched as realization hit him.

“I couldn’t, Harley. No matter how much of a dick that dude is, I couldn’t be that cruel.” 

I shrugged, “I don’t think it’s _that_ cruel.”

He rolled his eyes as I got up to take care of the breadsticks. 

“Even if I were to do that, he would catch on way too quickly.” Peter pointed out. I smiled to myself when I noticed he seemed to still be debating the idea.

“Would he, though?” I questioned as I placed the plates on the table and put the food on it. 

“Smells good.” He complimented. 

“Well, dig in.” I gestured to the food. He jumped off the couch and made his way to the table. 

He got his plate put together and sat down across from me. He immediately started eating. 

“This is good.” He said pointing to his plate and I just smiled at him. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and I took it out to see Abby was Skyping me.

“Oh. It’s Abby.” I looked to Peter and then back at my phone. “I’ll just call her back.” 

“No, don’t do that. When was the last time you talked to her?” 

“Uh, two weeks ago?” I guessed and Peter crossed his arms and gave me the face that said ‘answer the phone.’

I answered it to see Abby smiling on my screen. 

“Hey, little brother!” She exclaimed and I rolled my eyes. 

“Just because you are now a year older than me does not mean you are the older sibling.” I argued. 

“Where are you?” Abby gasped, “Dimmed lights! Are you in a date? I can’t hear anyone else! Who’s the lucky guy? Oh my God, did you finally tell Peter how you feel?! Are you on a date with Peter?!” 

I looked up to Peter to see his eyebrow perked up and a smirk on his face.

“Yeah, he’s here. Do you want to meet him?” I smiled slyly and Peter’s smirk disappeared.

“Why would you even ask that! Of course I want to see the guy who stole my little brother’s heart!”

I pursed my lips, “Not your little brother.” 

“Sure you aren’t.” She said and I got up to go over to Peter.

I turned the camera to a blushing Peter who just shyly waved. 

“Hi.” He was able to get out.

“Oh my God, he is so cute!” Abby squealed. 

“God, calm down. He is my boyfriend!” I joked. 

“Ok, ok. Sorry, Peter. I’ve been trying to get him to just tell you everything but you know Harley. He’s a stubborn little brat.” 

“I’m the brat?” I asked, offended.

“Stop trying to start a fight with me!” Abby teased. “So... Peter, how did you guys get together.”

“We actually kissed on a rooftop.” Peter said a little too fast, clearly still nervous.

Abby looked confused, “A rooftop? Like, in the 30 degree weather that you guys are experiencing right now? Why were you guys on a rooftop? I want all the deats.” She smiled.

“Oh, well... uh... we um... well...” Peter was stuttering and I wasn’t doing any better.

“It was on my apartment’s rooftop.” Peter finally lied. “We like to go up there sometimes. It’s peaceful.” 

I looked at him with my mouth hanging open. I think that was the first time that I had seen Peter save a conversation or being caught in a lie.

“When did this happen?” Abby asked.

“Uh... Wednesday? I think? Although we have been dancing around each other for the past two weeks.”

“Anyways, I’m sending you a friend request on Instagram so we can chat whenever. You are pretty much my brother in law now anyways.” 

“Wait, what?” Peter squeaked out.

“I’m kidding of course. Not about the friend request though.” Abby said. “Harley... I’m going to call you back tomorrow to scold you for not telling me about this sooner. It was nice to finally meet you, Peter!”

Then she hung up. 

“Sorry about that. She can be... quite a lot.” I laughed and Peter joined in.

“No it’s fine. It was nice meeting her.” Peter smiled as got up and put his arms around my neck. “She’s really nice. Must of had a good role model when growing up.” 

“Eh, I wasn’t the best role model, actually. My Sophomore and Junior years were uh, not my finest moments.” I confessed and Peter tilted his head, clearly intrigued. “I used to smoke weed and drink with the pothead losers of the school. They were the only guys that didn’t hate me for being gay because they were too stoned to care.” 

Peter looked disappointed as he pulled his hands off of my shoulders. I immediately regretting telling him that.

“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have unloaded all that on—“ 

“No, no I’m glad you told me. I just... I... I feel bad. That should never have happened. I’m so sorry.” Peter gave me a sympathetic frown. 

“You have nothing to apologize for, Peter.” I explained, “It wasn’t your fault that there are a bunch of homophobes in Tennessee. Well, in the south period. That’s why I jumped right on board when Tony called my mom to tell her that he would like me to come work for him and get the best education I could get. I’m known as the only open gay kid in my town. Well, actually, in a 50 mile radius of the town.” 

“I’m so sorry, Harley. I mean, I realized there was a little prejudice here, but I never knew it was that bad for you. Why didn’t you tell me?” Peter asked. 

I shrugged, “Because when I got here, I was a jerk to you. And then when we became friends, I didn’t want to jeopardize that by telling you I was gay. I didn’t want to jeopardize anything at this new school where everyone seemed to like me and think I was cool. Until I noticed my feelings for you and then I didn’t care.” He smiled and pulled me into a hug. 

“I glad you told me.” He whispered as I could hear the shakiness in his voice.

“I’m glad you listened.” I replied and he smiled as I pulled out of the hug to kiss him. 

He deepened it and pulled me closer by my belt loops on my jeans. 

“Are you done with your food?” I asked.

“I don’t care about the food right now.” He said in the hottest voice I had ever heard him use. 

“Oh, okay.” I said as he pulled me back into the kiss, as I slowly pushed us towards the couch where he plopped down on it and pulled me down too. We reconnected and I started to unbutton his shirt, which I felt that he started to get a little nervous.

I pulled back, “Are you okay?” 

He started to nod before I even finished the question. “I’m fine.” He said as he recaptured our lips and clearly unsure of what to do, he put his hand against my chest. I stopped unbuttoning his shirt because he seemed a little timid. 

I felt his phone vibrating through his pants and he parted with a frown on his face. He took out his phone and answered it. 

“Yeah?” He answered. “Flash? Are you okay?” He looked at me, confused. “Are you drunk?” Peter stood up, “Yeah, I’m coming. Where are you?... ok, don’t move.”

“I gotta go, Flash is in some trouble. I’m sorry.” Peter gave me a frown that was telling me that he would rather be here than anywhere else but that it’s an opportunity to help someone that he can’t miss out on. 

“Yeah, yeah I get it. Just make sure he gets home safe.” I continued, “Oh! Do you need some web shooters?” 

“No, I brought mine.” He said digging through his briefcase and pulling them out. He went to the coat hanger and put in his coat. “I’m sorry, Harley. I would much rather stay here with you but—“

“Its fine.” I said, ending his rambling. I gave him a hesitant smile and leaned in to kiss him.

“You will pick me up tomorrow?” Peter asked and I nodded. “Okay, see you later.” He closed the door behind him.

“See ya.” I whispered to myself and started to clean up dinner. 

**Peter’s POV**

I swung over to Flash who said he was at a club close to his house. I landed in an alley right outside of the club and turned the corner to see Flash sitting on the bench outside of the club, slightly swaying side to side. He looked like shit. 

“Hey.” I gave him a sympathetic smile. His eyes widened when he looked up at me. 

He gasped, “PARKER! YOU CAME!” 

“Yeah, I did. And you are _really_ drunk.” I stated and he laughed as he stood up. 

“Oh God.” He said and hurled almost on my shoes if it wasn’t for my reflexes. 

“You okay?” I asked once he was finished.

“I feel great!” He said a little too loudly and leaned against me for support. He breath stenches of alcohol but I wasn’t about to throw him off of me. I felt bad for him. 

“Okay, uh, where’s your car?” I asked and he pointed over to the other side of the building. I put my arm around his waist, keeping him steady. “Ready?” 

“Mmhm.” He hummed with a big smile on his face. 

We made it to his car and I put him in the passenger seat and asked for his keys. He gave me a pout but then reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. I took them and made my way to the drivers seat. I had a permit, but I hadn’t driven in months. But Flash’s house was a couple blocks from here and the traffic was surprisingly not bad. 

I started driving, kind of nervous, but then got the hang of it finally. 

“Why are you drinking?” I asked and immediately regretted it.

“Because it’s fun!” Flash giggled, “And there are no consequences! It’s almost like I’m not worth being punished!” He laughed harshly which made my stomach hurt. No matter how horrible Flash has been to me, he doesn’t deserve this.

“I’m sorry.” I apologized and he tilted his head.

“What’re ya sorry for?” He asked, slurring his words. 

_I was sorry that his parents were a bag of dicks._

I helped him out of the car and helped him up his steps. “Are your parents home?” 

“Noooo. They’re never home.” He giggled. And it just made my stomach twist even more.

He took his keys to open up the door and he asked me to come in. 

“Okay. You need to drink water and coffee and—“ 

“I’know how ta’ deal wi alcohol.” He interrupted me, while almost tripping over his own feet but I caught him. 

“You okay?” I asked and he shook his head no.

“Could you stay with me for a while?” He asked in a broken voice. 

“Of course, Flash.” I gave him a soft smile.

“Could you help me get to the couch please?” He asked and I did what he asked.

“Let me get you some water and bread.” I made my way to his kitchen. I got him a bottled water and a loaf of bread.

“Here you go.” I gave it to him. 

“Bread?” He asked, confused.

“Oh! It helps soak up the alcohol so you can sober up soon.” 

“Sooo smart. Like always. Brill’ant Peter Parker.” He giggled. 

I sat down next to him on the couch. 

“You know, I’m here for you, Flash.” 

“Why? All I’ve ‘ver been is horrible t’you.” He said taking a bite out of a piece of bread. 

“Because I believe people deserve second chances. And I know your parents don’t make that easy for you.” I said softly. As soon as I said that he looked a little uneasy.

“Is’ not that bad. Jus’ a lil bruises thas all.” He smiled and even giggled a little.

“Wait, they hurt you physically?” I said, my heart beating a little too fast. 

“Som’ times not all times.” He shrugged it off.

“Flash, we need to do something.” I said, fighting tears because he was just talking about it like it was nothing. More pissed than sad. Pissed at myself, even. 

“No we don’t. Th’would disown me. Is’ fine.” He said.

“Flash—“

“I said no, Parker. Promise me you won do an’thing. No tellin anyone. No one. Promise me.” He said sternly, although he was still drunk.

“I... I promise.” 

“Good. I need help getting upstairs to my bed. I’m tired.” He said, standing up. 

“Okay.” I stood up and wrapped my arm around his waist once again. “Let’s get you to bed.” 

I helped him up to his room and helped him into bed. 

“I’m sorry for throwing all that on you.” He said, seeming to sober up. 

“No! Flash, don’t apologize. I told you, I’m here for you.”

“I’m serious Parker. You can’t tell anyone. Not even your friends.” He said in the most serious tone I had heard from him. 

“Okay, Flash. I won’t.” I turned out his light, “Goodnight, Flash.” 

“Goodnight, Peter.”  
  


I swung back to my apartment and got into my suit. After all, I wasn’t going to sleep much that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that was a lot at the end. But I’ve been thinking about giving Flash more of a character and I did. I hope you guys liked it. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy!

  
**Peter’s POV**

I couldn’t sleep last night because I couldn’t. After what Flash told me last night, I was terrified for him. He kept trying to wave it off and say it was something that has been happening for a while so I shouldn’t worry. But it just made me worry more. The worst part was that he made me promise not to tell anyone. He said while he was still drunk that his parents were coming home today. Which made me feel even worse. 

“Harley’s here!” I heard May call out. I let out a breath I did not realize I was holding as I picked up my book bag and opened my bedroom door. 

“Whoa. You okay, Pete?” May asked as she rushed over to me and put a hand on my forehead. I took a step back to take her hand off.

“I’m fine.” I lied as I looked over to Harley who also looked concerned. 

“Well, the least you could do is brush your hair. It’s a mess.” May said giving me one worrying look before turning around to pick up her coffee mug. 

I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and hair. 

“There.” I said in a neutral tone, showing my annoyance.

“Are you sure you are okay? Did you sleep?” May asked me.

“I’m fine.” 

“You didn’t answer the question.” She pursed her lips and placed a hand on her hip. 

“Yes, I slept.” _For a total of about 30 minutes_.

“You ready, Harley?” I turned to him and he gave me an unreadable expression as he nodded slowly. 

“Okay. Bye, May.” I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and rushed out the door, with Harley following closely behind me.

I got into the car and Harley just stared at me with another unreadable expression.

“What?” I snapped.

“What has gotten into you? Did something happen last night?” His expression softened, “Did I do something?” 

I immediately snapped out of my attitude once he addressed it. “No, no you didn’t do anything. It... it has nothing to do with you.” 

“Did Flash do something?” Harley seemed to demand an answer more than ask.

“No. It... I can’t talk about it.” I said and he squinted his eyes at me, “He didn’t do anything, I promise.” 

“Well, that totally puts me at ease.” He said sarcastically. 

“Harley...” 

“It’s fine, really. I trust you.” He replied, “But I don’t think it’s a good idea to lie to May.” 

I tiled my head, “What?” 

“You clearly didn’t get any sleep last night.” He started the car and then looked at me, “Was it the nightmares?” 

“No. I... I can’t talk about it, Harley. I’m sorry but I just can’t. As much as I want to, I can’t. I made a promise, even though I regret it completely.”

“Promised who?” Harley asked. I gave him a look and he held up his hands in mocking surrender.

After a few minutes of silence, I spoke up.

“I enjoyed yesterday. It was amazing.” I smiled and he nodded with a grin on his face.

“I enjoyed it too.” He said. 

“I was planning on ending the night going on a swing with you, but I’m sorry that it got cut short.” I apologized.

“Hmm. I don’t think I wanted a swing anyways.” He stated.

“I thought you liked swinging. The thrill of it and everything.” 

He shrugged, “I enjoyed hanging out with Peter Parker. That’s what made the day so special. Not Spider-Man.” 

“Really?” I asked and he raised an eyebrow.

“Of course I did. I understand Spider-Man is a part of you, but it doesn’t define you. You are Peter Parker. And that’s all I need.” He said honestly.

_So there goes that thought in the back of my brain that he only liked me because of Spider-Man._

“Well, good to know.” I smiled. He pulled into the parking lot of the school.

He gave me one last look before he got out of the car which I followed suit. 

We walked in together and met up with MJ and Ned. 

“How was the date?” MJ asked with a completely neutral face.

“It was great. It got cut short but it was great.” Harley smiled.

“Wait, what? Did I miss something?” Ned asked and MJ grimaced at the awkward air surrounding us.

“Sorry. I thought you told him after I figured out.” MJ said with her teeth still clenched.

“Tell me what?” Ned had a hurt expression on his face, seeming to slowly become aware. And suddenly he smiled. “Wait, are you two...? Oh my God! This is so great! I knew that something was going on! I mean, I thought I was just imagining the sexual tension, but clearly not!” 

“Shhh! We haven’t really told anyone.” Harley said. 

“Sexual tension? I don’t think that was a thing.” I said looking at Harley who nodded in agreement.

“Oh no, it was definitely a thing. I just didn’t know what to call it, but Ned is completely right.” MJ continued, “The stolen glances, the dopey smiles anytime you two locked eyes, Harley laughing at your stupid puns, your interest in every little thing he said... how did I not notice?” 

“Because that stuff didn’t happen, your minds are making it all up.” I said, “Also, if he laughed at my jokes it was because they were funny.” 

“No, I laughed at them because they reminded me how much of an adorable dork you are.” Harley smirked. I playfully hit his chest. 

The bell rang and we all started to walk to class together. As we passed the gym, I saw Flash look at me and motion for me to follow him to the locker room. 

“I’ll meet you guys in class.” I said.

“Everything okay?” Harley asked. 

“Yeah, I’ll be right behind you guys.” I smiled as I waited for them to turn the corner before making it into the locker room. As soon as I made it in there, Flash pulled me behind a row of lockers and pushed me against one.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

His eyes seemed darker than usual and his voice was very deep, “Have you told anyone?” 

“No. I told you I wouldn’t.”

“And you won’t. If you do I will tell _everyone_ about you, you hear me?” He threatened.

“Flash, as much as I believe we should go to someone about this, I’m not going to. And I am going to ignore the fact that you just threatened me because I know that you are just scared.” 

He scoffed, “I’m not scared, Parker. I don’t get scared.” 

“Flash... you don’t have to act all tough in front of me. I get enough of that from thugs that think a gun will stop me. Everything I said last night was true. I’m here for you.” 

I saw a flash of anger in his eyes, “I don’t need you to be, Parker. I don’t need anyone.”

“Flash—“ He slammed his fist into the locker right next to my head and my eyes widened. I heard the bell ring in the distance, but I couldn’t care less at the moment.

“Don’t you dare! You might think you are everyone else’s savior but you are _not_ mine! I don’t need your help!” His voice started to break and I could see tears forming in his eyes. He turned his head into his shoulder and he slowly dropped his fist. I could hear a whimper as he took a step back from me. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He sobbed.

I stood there for a couple of seconds, unsure as to what to do. _The_ Eugene Thompson was in front of me breaking down. 

Next thing I know, I had my arms wrapped around him and he immediately threw his arms around me, holding on to me as if his life depended on it.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Flash.” I whispered and he sniffled, trying to get ahold of his emotions. He hesitated as he pulled himself out of the hug and I could see he looked a little flustered, probably because he just cried in front of the me of all people.

“We should uh, get to class.” Flash said after a few seconds of awkward silence, “We are probably going to get detention.” 

“Yeah. It’s fine, though.” I gave him a small smile. 

“Not for me. If my parents find out they will kill me.” He chuckled harshly as he picked up his bookbag. I flinched at the fact that he could make jokes so easily about it. 

“Um... Peter?” 

“Hmm?” 

He looked at me for a moment before shaking his head, “Uh... um... thanks.”

“Anytime.” I smiled as I walked out of the locker room and stopped in my tracks as the hairs on my arm stood up. Something was... different.

“What’s wrong?” Flash asked from behind me.

“I... don’t know.” I said. 

“What are you two doing?” A female voice said behind us. We both turned around to see Ms. Turner with one of her hand out, “Hall passes.” 

“Don’t have them.” Flash shrugged.

“Well then, detention after school for both of you. I expected more from you, Peter.” She said shaking her head, “Get to class.” She handed us our detention slips as we headed to class. 

We walked into the classroom to see everyone staring at us. I slowly walked to my seat and sat down next to Harley. My hairs on my arms stood up again. I snapped my head to Harley and I realized what it was.

_He was listening in on us._

He slowly turned his head to me and gave me a guilty look before returning his attention to the teacher. I scoffed and pulled out my textbook. 

It’s not like he really knew what was happening. Flash and I were careful not to drop anything about his parents. _Some trust he has in me._

When the bell rang, I immediately got up and left. I knew it was stupid to be mad at him for something so trivial, but how can he say he trusts me and then decide to sneak around and listen in on a private conversation? 

After my second class, I made my way to the cafeteria. I sat down next to MJ and she pulled out her book. 

Ned came to sit in front of me and started talking about the new lego set he got and asked me when I could make time to help him build it.

“Uh... I can come after school Wednesday. I need to go to the compound today. I haven’t seen Tony in a few days and he keeps blowing up my phone.” 

Harley came up to the table and I could feel his eyes on me. 

“Can I talk to you? Alone?” He asked. 

“I don’t know. Do you think you can _trust me enough_ not to punch you in the face?” 

“Peter... please?” He pretty much begged, and I got up and followed him to the bathroom.

“I swear, I came back to check up on you and all I heard was him crying. After that, I left. It’s not a matter of not trusting you, Peter.” He looked around the bathroom for a second time before looking back at me. “I don’t trust him.” 

I rolled my eyes, “Oh my God, Harley. Not everyone is out to get me.”

“Okay let me rephrase that. I don’t trust him _around you._ ” 

“And what is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“Peter, you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed how he has acted around you.” 

“Wow, Harley. Jealousy is not a good look on you.” I smirked.

“What? No! I’m not jealous! Trust me, I know how to spot a gay guy. He is most definitely gay.” 

“He has slept with most of the girls in our class. I think the only exceptions would be Betty and MJ.” I argued.

“Yeah, so? Maybe he is trying to keep up an image.” 

“Or maybe he isn’t gay at all.” I said as I put a hand on his chest, “Harls, you have nothing to worry about. I promise.” 

“Good.” He smiled and I pulled him into a kiss. “So, we are good?” 

“Yeah. I just, I told him I’d help him. He’s... going through a lot right now.” I vaguely explained and he smiled. “What?”

“You know you are literally a saint, right? I don’t think I know anyone who would help someone who used to beat them up for fun.” 

I shrugged, “I don’t know about that... it’s just called being nice.” 

“Sure it is.” He whispered. The door opened and Brad came in and looked at us weirdly. I then realized how close Harley and I were. I backed up a little.

“Hey, Brad.”

He rolled his eyes, “Yeah whatever, Parker.” 

I looked over to Harley who looked at the door and I nodded. Then we left to go back to MJ and Ned. 

“Well, he seems to hate you.”

“Yeah, that’s why he has tried to stay away from me and MJ as much as possible.” I said and he tilted his head, “It’s a long story.” 

“Okay.” He smiled, “I would love to hear it.” 

“Well the short story is that he walked into a bathroom and saw me stripping to put on a suit in front of a Slavic women that was about ten years older than me. She told me to and I was too scared of her to say anything. He tried to tell MJ with a picture that could be interpreted in many different ways and I almost accidentally killed him with one of Tony’s killer drones. Although he doesn’t know about that last part.” 

I turned to him and he just looked at me with the most confused face. 

“Okay... some of the stories you tell me are way too chaotic.” He chuckled as we walked into the cafeteria. 

“Oh, thank God. I thought you guys were about to break up. Or have sex. It really could have gone either way. Wait, did you guys—” Ned got cut off.

“You seriously have no filter.” Harley interrupted Ned.

“I’ve been told it’s charming.” Ned said.

“By who?” I giggled. He gave me a glare. 

“I thought you were my friend.” Ned pouted.

The bell rang and I went to throw away my tray.

Harley followed closely behind me, “Do you remember that guy from the bathroom?”

“Brad?” I asked.

“Yeah. You said that he hated you, right?”

“Yeah, he does.”

“Well, he just walked up to MJ.” 

I turned around to see Brad stopping MJ and he had this huge smile on his face. I looked to the ground as I tried focusing on their conversation across the cafeteria.

“MJ, you need to know something about Peter.” I heard come out of Brad’s mouth.

“Oh God this again.” I could practically hear MJ roll her eyes.

“No, MJ, you should know about the guy you are dating. He is a total snake.”

“Oh really? Ok, so what’s the tea?” She said sarcastically. 

“Peter is gay.” Brad said with disgust in his voice, “I know, that’s not what you wanted to hear, but I saw him with that guy that just moved here. They were pretty much fucking each other with their eyes.”

“Thanks for coming to me about this, Brad. Except for the fact that me and Peter never actually got together which you would know if you didn’t hide from us all year. Also, just so you know, I am never going to date you. I just... don’t like you.” As soon as MJ said that, Brad’s face became red and he seemed to be fuming with anger.

“I wonder what would happen to Peter if everyone somehow found out that he was gay. I really hope it wouldn’t crush him.” He subtly threatened.

“That would be an excellent plan if you told everyone, except for the fact that nobody would believe you. Especially after that stunt you pulled last summer. Also, most people aren’t as narrow minded and live under a bridge with homophobic goblins like you clearly do, so they won’t care.”

“I— you—“ He huffed and ran off. 

“What? What happened?” Harley asked me.

“Just MJ being a total badass.” I smiled, “Let’s go.”

We walked into the gym together and I immediately noticed Flash wasn’t in there.

“What’s wrong?” Harley asked.

“Flash isn’t here.”

“Okay he bails class sometimes. Is it really that big of a deal?”

“Oh, there he is.” I said as I saw him come in. 

“You seemed scared for a second. Is everything okay? He’s not in trouble, is he?” Harley asked and I shook my head. _Well, depends on what trouble you are talking about._

I walked up to MJ as I saw Brad eyeing me across the room. Has he always been in this class? 

“Hey, uh thanks.” I gave her a smile.

She shrugged, “I didn’t do anything.”

“Homophobic goblin? Nice.” I told her and she chuckled. 

“I was pretty proud of that.” MJ smirked and then she frowned, “I don’t know if he is going to tell anyone. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have provoked him.” 

“It’s fine. I don’t care if people know I’m bi.” I said and glanced over at Harley who was talking to Ned. I looked back at MJ as she seemed to understand what I was thinking.

“Peter, you deserve to be happy. Harley believes that too.” She smiled genuinely. 

I nodded, “Thanks.” 

MJ hugged me and then retreated to the stands to read her book. 

Since Harley and Ned were partners, I saw Betty didn’t have one so I made my way to her before Brad stepped out in front of me.

“Oh, hey Brad.” I gave him a smile. 

“You know I could tell everyone about your dirty little secret, right?” 

“Only you would classify being bi as dirty. No offense, but get a life.” I snapped and tried to move around him but he stopped me. 

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about Harley. What did he have to do to get in your pants, huh? No wonder you want to keep him a secret. Ha, I bet he is a dirty whore with everyone here.” 

The next thing I know, I heard a crack and Brad was screaming on the floor with blood gushing out his nose and blood on my fist.

“YOU FUCKER! YOU BROKE MY NOSE!” Brad screamed and then he got quieter and let out a tiny chuckle, “Hit a nerve, huh? Guess he is more than a little fag then.” 

I charged at him and pushed him to the ground and got in a few punches before I was being peeled off of him. I struggled against them because I wasn’t done yet. 

Brad just laid there on the ground coughing and moaning, clearly not ready for the amount of strength I put behind each punch.

I broke free from Flash, Harley, and Ned with ease and turned to them.

“What the fuck was that?” Flash asked. 

I looked at Harley, “Nothing.” 

“Peter, I don’t think I have ever seen you get that mad.” Flash said and Harley looked at me confused.

“The dick deserved it.” I scoffed, “He deserved more than a fucked up nose.”

“Damn, what the hell?” Flash looked at me with what looked like fear in his eyes.

“Peter Parker and Brad Davis to the Principal’s office. Peter Parker and Brad Davis to the Principal’s office.” A woman over the intercom said. 

I looked over to the coach who just seemed to get off the phone that rings to the office.

“You shouldn’t have beat him up.” Harley said and I rolled my eyes. 

“If you heard what he said, you would have punched him too.” I said, making my way to the coach to get a pass.

Brad still hadn’t gotten up so I decided to walk over him as I made my way out. I walked in and the principal instructed me to take a seat and we would have to wait for Brad to make his way here.

“That might take a while.” I muttered under my breath.

“What?” Principal Moria asked.

“Nothing.” 

“Who should I call?” He asked me. I gave him Tony’s number because I knew May was at work. And I wasn’t ready to face her.

Brad made his way in, not even bothering to clean himself up to make himself appear worse than he really was.

Principal Morita gasped and looked at me with fear.

“Oh come on, it’s not as bad as it looks. At the most he has a broken nose and a bruised rib. He didn’t bother cleaning himself up to—“

“Quiet, Mr. Parker. Mr. Davis, have a seat.” Brad took a seat as Principal Morita continued, “What started the fight?”

“He was being a dick and calling my friend homophobic slurs.” I said before Brad could say anything.

“You mean your boyfriend?” Brad smirked.

“Yes, I do actually.” I said and his eyes widened a little. Did he really think we were just sleeping together?

“Okay, well even that does not give you the right to start a fight.”

“It wasn’t a fight. He was curled up on the ground after two punches.” I said and I bit my tongue as soon as I said it.

“So he didn’t defend himself? Mr. Parker that makes it worse.”

“He didn’t defend himself because he was trying to be the victim! But he isn’t the victim!” I stood up out of my chair.

“Mr. Parker, sit down please.”

“No, this is fucking ridiculous! In the past 24 hours I have had to deal with 2 people who are about to get away with probably destroying a teenager’s life and now he is going to get away with this? So glad to see that this is what the real world is like.” 

“He will be getting detention, Mr. Parker. As for you, you will be suspended for the rest of the week. You will come back Monday.” 

I scoffed, “Wow. I’m sure detention will teach him not to mess with people’s lives and friends.” 

“Mr. Parker, if I were you I would calm down. You are clearly bothered by something else entirely and that is why you are allowing your anger to control you.”

“Oh no, I punched him because he deserved it.” I said. 

After a few minutes of sitting outside the principal’s office, Tony came through the doors.

“Is that Tony Stark?” Brad asked with wide eyes. I rolled my eyes. 

Tony looked at Brad and then looked at me. His eyes widened and he frowned.

“Did you do that?” He asked and I nodded. 

“Ok, Mr. Parker, oh. Tony Stark. Tony Stark’s here.” Principal Morita said as he stepped out of his office.

“Yeah I’m here to pick up Peter.” 

“Really? No offense Mr. Stark, but you can’t just pick up a child without being on their emergency contact list.”

“I am on his list.” Tony said and Principal Morris looked at his secretary to see her give him a nod. I glanced over at Brad to see him looking at Tony like he couldn’t believe he was here.

“Oh, okay. Well um, come on in.” He said and I got up to go in and Tony gave me a look before we sat down.

“So, Mr. Parker punched Mr. Davis in the nose, which caused him to have a broken nose and he said he is having trouble breathing as Peter also punch him in the abdomen.” Principal Morita said and Tony looked at me with wide eyes and then back at the principal.

“Well, did the dude deserve it? Cause I don’t think that Peter would punch anyone unless they deserved it.” Tony said and I smirked.

“Well, Peter said that Brad was saying things about his—“

“Brad was calling Harley a fag and a whore.” I jumped in, trying not to have my coming out story to Tony be in the principal’s office.

“Oh. Well, now I definitely see why Peter punched him.” Tony smiled. “Harley Keener is in my care at the moment.” 

“Oh. Um, Mr. Stark. Although he may have deserved it, it still does not excuse the fact that Peter did break his nose. He has to be suspended for the rest of the week. It’s the handbook’s rule.” 

“Okay, well, I can’t really argue with that.” Tony chuckled forcefully, “May I ask what is happening to Brad?” 

“He will be receiving after school detention for two days.” Principal Morita said.

“Oh. Just detention?”

“Well, Mr. Davis did not fight back so he isn’t facing the same punishment as Mr. Parker.”

“Oh, I see. Here you just let the school run like we are in the 1950s, when homophobia was cool and hip. I gotcha. Let’s go, Peter.” Tony said as he stood up. 

Once we made it outside he stopped me before getting in the car.

“You are gonna have to tell May after she gets off work. I’m not hiding you.” Tony said and I reluctantly agreed.

“So what’s the real reason you beat the shit out of that dude?” Tony asked.

“I told you. He was insulting Harley. I couldn’t just let him do that.” 

“Hmm. So this has nothing to do with the fact that it wasn’t just Harley but your boyfriend?”   
  


_Oh shit_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Flash has now become a pretty big character. And Tony knows. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay. I have rewritten this chapter 4 times and each time it was because I was unsatisfied with it. I didn’t just want to shitpost, so I took my time with it. Again sorry for the delay, but I hope you enjoy!

  
**Peter’s POV**

May didn’t go that hard on me after I told her why I punched the shit out of that asshole. In fact, she seemed proud. Pepper on the other hand was shocked to hear that I did that... and that Harley was my boyfriend. I guess Tony just tells his wife everything.

Since I was suspended for the week, I was able to spend most of the days swinging around and stopping crime around all of New York. It keeps me busy since I didn’t have any homework to do. And then I would stop by the compound to work with Tony on a few things.

Friday came by fast. My last day of suspension. Most people would dread it, but I was ready to go back to school Monday.

Flash invited me to his Halloween party tomorrow. He told me my geek friends were welcome to come too. I told Wanda about it, since I spent some time with her over the week, and she begged for me to allow her to come with us. I told her sure, since it was a Halloween party, nobody would probably think she was actually Wanda Maximoff. 

It’s weird how Flash and I have become somewhat friends. I feel like it was just yesterday he would call me Penis. 

I mostly have something planned for Ned, MJ, and me to do for Halloween, but this year it completely slipped my mind so I decided why not go to Flash’s party? 

Flash made sure to tell me not to dress up since most people don’t. Which was good, because I also did not have a costume. 

After I completed a shift of spidey work, I noticed I had a slice in my suit from the guys who were trying to rob an old lady with vibranium knifes. I had a shallow cut right below my rib cage, but it seemed to not need stitches, even though it still hurt like hell and look several minutes to stop bleeding. 

I made my way to the compound and hopped onto the Avenger’s Balcony. I opened the door and entered the living area where Wanda and Steve were. 

“You’re hurt.” I could hear the worry in Wanda’s voice as she stood up.

“Oh, it’s not that bad. Tis’ just a scratch.” I laughed at my Shakespeare reference but they both looked at me confused so I continued, “The suit is just gonna have to be patched up. I’m gonna go clean up.”

I got to my room which had just been set up after the Hammer incident because Tony thought I should officially be brought in like an avenger. Although, I barely use the room since I live with May. 

I put on one of my science puns shirts that said ‘I make science puns, but only periodically’ and some gray sweatpants. I folded my suit and made my way to Tony’s workshop. 

I walked into the workshop to see Harley in a tight undershirt with grease stains smeared all over it. 

“Hey, uh, I uh...” I tried talking but all I could focus on was Harley’s lightly toned abs restraining against his shirt. “Where’s Tony?” 

“He went out bowling with Pepper and Morgan. He said they should be back around 8.” Harley explained, twirling a wrench around his hands. 

“Are you guys still working on that car?” I asked, directing his attention to the 1965 Mustang they had been working on for the past few days.

“Yeah. Well, it’s pretty much just me now.” He smiled and he walked over to me. “Is that your suit?” 

“Yeah it uh, needs to be patched up.” I walked over to the suit fabrication machine and quickly fixed the setting for a quick patch up.

“What happened?” Harley asked as he followed me to the machine.

“Nothing.” I tried and he turned me around to face him. He gave me a stern look and I rolled my eyes, knowing I wasn’t going to wiggle myself out of this one. “It’s just a little scratch, Harley. Some thugs had a few knives and I lost focus for a second, so one of them sliced me. It’s not that big of a deal.” 

He took the hem of my shirt and lifted it to show off a bandage I had put on my injured side that had started to bleed through. 

“You are still bleeding.” His eyes widened.

“Harley.” I forced a harsh chuckle as I pushed his hand away and put my shirt down, “I’m fine, really.” 

“Peter—“

“I’m fine, Harley.” I gritted through my teeth. 

“Y’know what? No you aren’t. I don’t care if you heal fast or that you are Spider-Man. If it happened to anyone else they would be seriously injured.”

“But I’m not like everyone else, Harley!” I exclaimed. 

“That doesn’t keep me from worrying, Peter. Yeah you aren’t like everyone else, but you aren’t invincible. How many times have you had to patch up this suit in time I’ve known you?”

I thought about it for a second. I wanted to lie, but I knew he would be able to see straight through me.

“I— I don’t know.” I answered honestly. 

“This version of the Spider-Man suit has been patched up 17 times. Within the time frame of you arriving, it has been patched up 13 times.” FRIDAY interjected.

“Thanks, FRIDAY.” I sarcastically muttered under my breath. I was getting ready for him to yell at me or throw something. Or even break up with me. That thought frightened me. Would he actually break up with me over something so trivial like how many times I have injured myself? Or even worse... would he even actually care?

Instead, he took my hand in his and lifted my chin so I could look him in the eyes. He looked... hurt but also had the most caring look in his eyes.

“I _need_ you to be careful, Peter. I can’t lose you.” His voice started to wobble. 

“Okay. I will.” I told him and I pulled him into a hug and he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

“I can’t lose you.” He whispered against my neck which sent chills throughout my entire body.

As we pulled out of the hug, the machine beeped which caused me to jump back. Harley giggled at that.

We heard the door open and Dr. Banner came in.

“Hey, guys. FRIDAY alerted me that your suit needed a patch up and that you were still bleeding. Let me take a look at it.” 

I opened my mouth to argue, but one stern look from Harley shut me up. I jumped into one of the cleaner tables in the workshop and took off my shirt, wincing as I lifted my arms, tearing the probably already scabbing wound. 

Bruce put his first aid kit down and slowly peeled back the bandage. I glanced at Harley to see his nose wrinkle in what was probably disgust.

“Well, glad I caught this. It probably hasn’t healed yet because it is infected. There is still a good bit of bleeding.” Bruce took the bandage off entirely and took out some rubbing alcohol. He dabbed it against my skin and I let out a hiss at the stinging and coldness of it hitting my raw skin. “Hmm. It is deeper than it looks. I’m probably gonna have to do stitches after I treat it.”

“What would have happened if you didn’t catch it?” Harley asked with worry in his voice.

Bruce shrugged, “With Peter you never know. It could have just taken longer to heal or the infection could have worsened, making it spread.” 

Bruce took out his suture kit and gave me a smile, “You seem a little uneasy. You okay?”

“I’m just... I don’t like needles.” 

“But you are fine with letting a stab wound get infected?” Bruce teased.

I chuckled, “I don’t recommend getting stabbed.” He placed the suture through my skin and I gritted my teeth. 

“Yeah. Not fun.” Harley chuckled. I looked at him confused. 

“You’ve been stabbed?” 

“Just a few homophobic teens that thought it would be funny. It wasn’t anything bad, though. I didn’t need stitches. Or well, I didn’t tell my mom so nobody knew even if I did need them.” 

I felt anger running through my veins that I didn’t even feel anything until Bruce told me he was done. He placed another bandage over it. 

“Come by tomorrow so I can make sure that you don’t tear any stitches. Don’t do any crime fighting for the next few hours and I think you will be fine.” Bruce gave me a pat on the back and I thanked him. 

“Hey, uh, could you not tell Tony about this?” I asked him before he opened the door to leave. 

“Peter...” He and Harley said with disappointment evident in their voice.

“ _Please_?” I gave him a half hearted smile.

“Depends on how it looks tomorrow.” Bruce smiled and walked out. 

“How many injuries do you keep from us?” Harley asked.

“Harley...” I forced a chuckle.

“Y’know what? I don’t think I want to know.” He said, as he returned back to the car. 

We didn’t really talk much for the rest of the evening.

I started to gather my things around 7:45, hoping I could miss Tony. I knew it hadn’t healed and I really didn’t want to be lectured yet again. 

“Do you need a ride?” Harley asked with the most monotone voice. 

“No it’s fine, I’m meeting Happy downstairs.” I said and he nodded, seeming disappointed. But I knew I couldn’t take another lecture from him. 

“Oh, ok. Well um... do you still need a ride to Flash’s party?” Harley asked.

I shrugged. Was he trying to act like the awkward silence of the past 2 hours didn’t happen? 

“Probably.” I gave him a half smile, “I will text you.”

“Ok.” He nodded and looked to the ground. “Peter?”

“Yeah?”

“Um... I... Goodnight.” He gave me a soft smile as I left the workshop. 

Happy drove me home and surprisingly asked me how I was doing. The last time (and only time) he actually showed that he had any concern for me was back in that airplane when we all were still scared that Tony wasn’t going to make it. 

I missed Happy. I hadn’t talked to him in a few weeks as I had been super busy going in circles with Harley. I talked to him about how Harley and I were together which really shocked him and I talked more about my life and how it was going and he actually listened. It was as if I was talking to a completely different person. 

He dropped me off and I ran upstairs and saw that May left a note saying she would be home in the early afternoon and that dinner was in the fridge. 

I opened the fridge to see two Delmar sandwiches just waiting for me. Man, I loved that woman.

I ate them and looked at the time to see that it was already 9:10. I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed when I heard a knock on the door.

I opened the door and Harley was right in front of me, seeming a little out of breath. 

“Hey...?” I greeted, very confused.

“I can’t judge you. I have no right. And I know that judging how you go about your Spider-Man business should be none of my concern. And with all the irony of me saying I can’t lose you, I don’t want to lose you to something so stupid as me not trusting your judgement. Because you are important to me, Peter. So important that it hurts.” He nervously chuckled, “And it’s a good type of hurt. Your smile hurts me. Your laugh hurts me. Your selflessness hurts me.” He took a shaky breath, “It hurts when I think of how _in love_ I am with you.” 

I stood there for what felt like hours just staring at him in disbelief. My heart felt like it was doing flips as I replayed what he just said to me over and over again in my head. 

I realized that I had just left him to stand there as I tried to process what happened. He seemed to be really nervous.

“You... you love me?” I asked in a wobbling voice. 

“I love you so much it hurts, Peter.” He stated in a voice barely above a whisper. 

“I... I don’t...” I let out a nervous chuckle, “I’m sorry can you give me a second I’m trying to process this...” I could feel a tear falling down my cheek, “This isn’t a joke? You aren’t joking with me?”

I don’t understand why I was having such a hard time believing him. _I loved him._ So why was it so hard to believe that he could love me? Everything he told me was exactly how I felt yet I kept doubting this was actually happening.

“No, Peter. This isn’t a joke. This is how I feel.” He gave me a genuine smile before taking a deep breath, “How do you feel?”

I took a shuttered breath as I pulled him into the apartment and slammed the door behind him. I smashed my lips against his, slamming our noses together in the process. It was sloppy, but I think I got the point across. 

“I love you too.” I whispered against his lips. He pulled away for a second and gave me quick smile before capturing my lips for another kiss. This one was less sloppy but more passionate and genuine. He placed a hand against my waist and another against my neck. I ran my fingers through his hair and as he deepened the kiss, I gasped, allowing him to explore my mouth with his tongue. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist and tugged at his hair, which earned me a moan.  
We slowly made our way to my room, which he used my back to close the door. He gently sat me on my bed, where my legs were still attached around his waist. I untangled my fingers from his hair and broke the kiss just long enough for me to take off my shirt. He placed his lips sweetly against the side of my neck as he lightly trailed his fingers down my spine making me gasp his name softly. He froze for a second before he put a little bit of space between us. 

“Peter, we don’t _have_ to do this yet. We can wait.” 

“No, Harley, I want this.” 

“I just don’t want you to feel like you are obligated to do this. Plus, you are hurt.”

“I want this, Harls.” I whispered, my heart beating out of my chest as I pulled him back towards me and kissed him. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore... do you want this?”

“God, yes.” He ran his hand over my abs as I lifted the hem of his shirt. I threw his shirt on the ground and pulled him as close to me as possible as if I was going to lose him.

—————————————

  
I woke up to the sun shining in my eyes and the birds chirping outside my window. I went to move the blankets but found an arm wrapped around my waist. I smiled as the memories of last night resurfaced, still fresh in my mind. I carefully turned to face a sleeping Harley, who at my movement, rubbed his bare leg against mine under the blanket. I heard my phone ding so I carefully stretched my hand out to my bedside table to pick up my phone. 

2 Missed Calls from Tony

1 Missed Calls from MJ

3 messages from Tony

7 Messages from Ned, MJ, Flash

I looked at the time and it was 12:45 in the afternoon. Oh shit.

**Tony**

_Hey have you seen Harley?_  
7:46 am

_???_   
8:03 am

_2 missed calls_

_Harley won’t answer my calls and now you won’t?_  
8:58 am

_Sorry we slept in late! He came over to talk to me last night and he slept on my couch bc he was too tired to make it back._  
12:46 pm

_Even when you are texting I can tell when you are lying._   
12:46 pm 

Before I could even read my other texts, I heard the apartment door open. 

“Oh shit.” I cursed. I jumped out of bed as I heard the keys hit the table. I searched frantically for my boxers until I found them hanging off of my desk lamp.

_Nope those are his._

I found mine in my rolling chair, along with my sweatpants. I was able to get my boxers on but then May spoke up. 

“Honey? Are you still here?” I heard May’s footsteps making their way towards my room.

I was able to get there first and poke my head out, giving her no room to see anything in my room. 

“Hey.” I gave her a smile.

“Did you just wake up?” She asked me. 

I chuckled, “Yeah had trouble sleeping last night so I decided to sleep in.” 

“Oh, ok.” She stood there just looking at me for a few seconds.

“Well, if that’s it, I’ve got to get dressed.” I gave her a soft smile.

“Oh, yeah sorry.” She giggled as I shut the door in her face. I picked back up my sweatpants and put them on. I put on a clean undershirt and rubbed my eyes.

I wasn’t lying. It’s just that _we_ didn’t get much sleep last night.

“Dammit, I was really enjoying the view.” Harley’s voice made its way to my ears and I jumped. I turned to him to see him smirk. 

I just stood there for a second, thinking.

“I can see those gears turning in your head.” He said as he got up with the sheet to go across the room to get his boxers. He paused and frowned, “You aren’t regretting last night, are you?”

“What? No! Last night was... one of the best nights of my life.” I smiled which he returned, “I’m just thinking about how I’m going to get you out of here.”

“Oh wow, hiding me again, are you?” 

“No, I’m just trying to hide that I had sex with you from my aunt.”

“Multiple times, actually.” He smirked.

“Shh. Keep your voice down.” I whispered. I turned around as he dropped the sheet so he could put his boxers on.

“Hey, honey! I’m making you some breakfast! Does eggs and sausage sound good?”

“Sounds great, May!” I said through gritted teeth. I turned back to him, “Find the rest of your clothes and put them on.” I said as I opened up the window. 

“Are you serious?” He huffed.

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.” I smirked as he rolled his eyes and put on his shirt.

He picked up his phone and his eyes widened, “I’m in deep shit.” 

I grinned as I took my web shooters and put them on my wrists.

Before I grabbed his waist to swing him out of the window, he took my hand.

“Hey, um... I meant everything I said last night.” Harley said as he avoided eye contact. I placed my thumb under his chin to make him look at me.

“I did too.” I smiled as I placed a small kiss onto his lips. 

“Petey! Food is almost ready!” 

“I’ll be out in a minute!” I linked my arm around his waist and jumped out of my window. Harley let out a shriek, but just as soon as it happened, I was already on the ground, next to his car.

“I’ll pick you up in a couple hours.” 

“Good.” I smiled and leaned in for another kiss before looking around to swing back up to my window.

I jumped right back into my room and I opened the door.

“Hey, May.” I smiled at her as she placed my plate at the table. 

“I was surprised to see that you were still asleep. Even when you are on patrol you still get up at the crack of dawn.” She said with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

“Hmm. Guess all the late nights finally got to me.” I gave her a grin as I drank some of my orange juice.

“Hmm.” She hummed, still seeming a little doubtful. I could hear the knock on the door before May did, but she insisted I finish eating as she got it.

She opened up the door and let MJ and Ned in.

“Oh. Hey guys. W-what are you guys doing here?”

“Well, we just assumed you remembered... even though I tried calling you.” MJ said, “You said we could come over and hang while we wait for Harley to come pick us up for the party.” 

“Oh! I did say that, didn’t I?”

“You are just now eating breakfast? When have you ever woken up after 9?” Ned asked and I straightened my back as I fought back a grin after thinking about last night.

I proceeded to shrug as I got up to put my plate in the sink. 

“I have to go get groceries, but you three behave yourselves.” May spoke up as she grabbed her purse and kissed my cheek before leaving. 

MJ gave me a long hard stare as if she was trying to figure me out.

“What?” I asked.

“There’s something different with you today.”

“Oh, other than the fact that I woke up late as everyone keeps reminding me?” I said with a bit of hostility, trying to get them off my back. 

“No, MJ is right you’re... glowing.” Ned squinted his eyes.

I nervously chuckled and tried to change the subject, “I want pizza. You guys want pizza?”

“Uh, sure?” Ned raised his eyebrow.

“How are you already hungry? You just ate.” MJ asked.

I shrugged, “Fast Metabolism. Pepperoni, right?” I pulled out my phone and called the pizza place.   
  


I heard a knock on the door and motioned for MJ to open it. 

“Thank you.” I hung up the phone and started to turn around to face them, “Okay it should be here in— Harley! W-what are you doing here?” 

“I uh, realized May left. I uh... dropped my wallet. I didn’t know they were... here.” He said and I could feel my face getting red as MJ just grinned smugly. He made his way into the apartment and grabbed his wallet that was on my floor where his pant were before. 

He stopped in front of me and gave me a kiss on the cheek, “I’ll be back in a few hours... if Tony doesn’t kill me.” 

I nodded as he rushed out of the door and my two best friends looked at me knowingly. 

“May can not find out about this.” I instructed and they both nodded, still keeping the biggest grins on their faces.

“Interesting night, huh?” Ned teased and I hit his arm while MJ just snickered. 

“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes, my cheeks still feeling really hot. Before I heard something outside of the apartment building.

_All units respond. Multiple escaped convicts on the loose. Last seen headed down 44th street. Prisoners are armed and dangerous. Proceed with caution._

“I have to go.” I rushed to my room andI took my suit out of my book bag and quickly got changed.

MJ frowned, “What’s wrong?”

“A few few convicts on the loose a few blocks away. Don’t worry. I’ll be back in time for pizza.” I flashed them a grin and jumped out of the window before they could say anything. 

I followed the sirens and found four shady guys in orange jumpsuits. Two with hostages— about a 12 year old girl and a woman— with guns to their heads. Police officers circled them and one guy, who seemed to be in charge, was trying to talk them down. It wasn’t working. 

“They all seem to be armed. You should go for the two with the hostages. Should I call Tony to see if he can send someone to assist?” Karen asked me.

“I think I will be fine.” I sighed, “Out of all days, why do criminals decide to commit crimes on Halloween?” 

“WE HAVE A LIST OF DEMANDS!” One guy with a heavy Bronx accent said as he waved his gun around. “UH... WE WANT UH, A UH... HELICOPTER! YEAH! A HELICOPTER! AND- AND 500,000 DOLLARS!”

“If you give us what we want, as a sign of good faith, we will let the girl go.” One of the other guy said, pressing the gun against the little girl’s head. I could hear in the distance the SWAT vehicles.

The negotiating officer slowly nodded and went back behind his car. 

“I have no idea what to do, boss. We can’t just give them a helicopter and 500,000 dollars.” I heard from a distance. 

“Tell them it’s on it’s way.” The person on the other end said. 

“This is going to end badly.” I grimaced, “if I used a distraction, what would my chance of success be?” 

“82%.” Karen told me. “That would be your best possible choice, Peter.”

“Well, here goes nothing.” I jumped to the ground, which for a split second made the two guys holding the gun to the hostages drop it a little, giving me time to yank the guns away with my webs. A gun went off and barely missed me as I leaped up into the air, and grabbed another 2 guns from the other two. I landed right behind the two guys who had the hostages and yanked them back, making them lose their grip on the hostages. 

“What is wrong with you people?! Pointing a gun at a little girl?” I said, as I knocked out one of the guys, and another came running towards me with an already made fist. I easily dodged it, and webbed his feet together so I could then punch him to the ground. 

“I’m trying to think of some jokes to lighten up the mood, but I can’t really find a way to lighten up terrifying a small child, who will probably now have nightmares for the rest of her life.” I fid a flip over another guy, taking him by his shirt and slamming him to the ground. 

I turned around to face all of them, seeing them all groan and moan in agony made me feel satisfied. _Wait, was that a good thing?_

I heard staggered clapping before there was a total applause. I looked around to see the crowds behind the police barricade all applauding me for doing my job. I never really understood that. It’s a job, not something I should be praised for. It’s not like I am a soldier who went to war and fought for the country. I’m just a regular guy. 

I gave an awkward wave to the crowd before giving a slight nod to the negotiating officer and swinging out.

I leaped through my window to find MJ and Ned sitting in the living room watching the news, where a reporter was standing just a few meters from where I just was.

They turned to me and smiled. 

“Look! It is Queen’s Friendly Neighborhood Hero.” MJ smiled and I rolled my eyes as I took a slice of pizza. 

I still felt a little uneasy about how proud I was of taking those guys down. I mean, it was gone within a second, but I still felt pride in hurting them. It’s not like they didn’t deserve it, but I hurt them pretty bad. And I was okay with it. 

Does this make me a bad person?

If I did that, what makes me better than them?   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the ending seemed kind of abrupt but the chapter is already kind of long. But nonetheless, hope you enjoyed reading it!
> 
> Comments, ideas, and kudos are appreciated! ;)


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s late. My schedule might be all over the place for the next few weeks.

  
**Harley’s POV**

The only thing that I would have ever considered to be magical was Dr. Strange’s mystical powers. Until last night. Last night was _magical_. 

As I drove back to the compound, I couldn’t stop smiling. I told Peter I loved him. _And he loved me._

Now I just had to face Tony. And maybe even Pepper. 

I parked my car and made my way up to the penthouse. 

As soon as the elevator door opened, I saw Wanda playing with Morgan and her lips quirked up as she saw me. I gave her a glare which caused her to turn her attention back to Morgan.

“There you are, kid.” Tony came out into the living area from the hallway. “Had a good night?” 

I was expecting a scolding voice, but I was met with a teasing and maybe even perky voice.

“Uh, yeah I um... it was already late and I didn’t want to drive that late at night because I was already so tired because this week has been so busy so I just crashed at Peter’s. I’m sorry I didn’t text you to let you know.” I lied, trying to save my ass, which at the moment, it didn’t seem like I needed to.

“Hmm. I’m sure you were very tired.” Tony sarcastically said with a smirk on his face, “I just doubt it was for the reasons you are saying they are.” He finished with a low voice. 

“I— wha—“ I let out a nervous chuckle.

“It’s fine, really, Harley. I’m just messing with you.” He said and then leaned towards me to whisper, “Did you use—“

“Yes, Tony. God, please stop.” I cut him off as I took a step back from him and he laughed. 

“Well, just next time send me a text, okay? You know how anxious I can get.” He said, a little more serious.

“Okay.” I gave him a slight smile as I made my way to my room.

I walked in to my room and it felt like for a second that my heart stopped. The first thing to catch my eye was Spider-Man swinging into view on my TV as he snatched the two guns held at two civilians heads.

I let out a sigh of relief after he completely took guns out of the equation. He once again saved the day. Like he always does.

I smiled to myself as he swung off camera. I couldn’t help but be worried anytime I see him on the news live. I guess just seeing what happened to him with Hammer showed me that Spider-Man isn’t invincible. Well, it showed everyone. 

“I could feel your sudden panic all the way in the living room.” I jumped at the sound of Wanda’s voice. 

“Wha— I thought you weren’t supposed to read minds.” 

“I try not to, but if it’s really strong I can’t help it. It just happens... Are you okay?” She asked with a concerned look on her face. 

“Uh, yeah I’m fine.” I glanced over at the TV and then back at her.

“You do know it’s ok to worry about him, right?” Wanda asked as she sat next to me on my bed.

“Is it? I mean, I thought that after I told him that I trust him, I would be able to let it go.” 

“You are his boyfriend, Harley. You should have the right to be worried for him. It’s not a matter of trust. And I think Peter knows that too.” Wanda told me. “Just don’t make him feel bad about getting hurt.” 

I raised my eyebrow at her, “Are you reading my mind?”

“Well, I needed context.” She shrugged. 

“But I didn’t make him feel bad... did I?”

“You showed that you were angry that he got hurt. And knowing Peter, he probably took that as you being angry at him.” She then smiled, “But what you told him last night was exactly what he needed to hear.”

“WANDA!” My eyes widened as she just snickered. 

“What?! I had to, okay! Don’t worry, as soon as he started kissing you, I got out of your mind.” 

I hit her arm and she just burst into laughter, which caused me to start laughing. 

“Thanks, Wanda.” I said and she smiled.

“Anytime, Harley.” She stood up and left to go back to Morgan.

  
——————————————

  
  
“You ready?” I knocked on Wanda’s bedroom door.

“Give me a sec!” She yelled.

I leaned against her doorframe, twirling my car keys around in my hands. 

“By ‘a sec’ she means 20 minutes.” Sam smirked as he passed me.

Her door opened and she appeared from behind the door. She was wearing a short red dress with black converse and had her hair tied back in a high ponytail. She actually looked like she was in high school.

“Let’s go.” She gave me a smile.

“Okay, ground rules: no reading minds and no using powers. At all. No matter what happens. You got that?” I told her and she nodded.

“I won’t.” As soon as she said that, I was in my car with her in the passenger seat.

I gave her a glare and she held up her hands in mock surrender, “Last time. I promise.” 

I playfully rolled my eyes as I cranked the car and made my way to Peter’s apartment. 

I honked the horn and waited for them to come out. Ned and MJ got in and Wanda went to sit in the back with them.

“Hey, Wanda.” Ned smiled and Wanda gave a small smile back.

“I still don’t understand why you want to hang out with these losers.” MJ said, giving Wanda her signature neutral expression. 

“Uh... aren’t you hanging out with these losers?” Wanda seemed amused.

MJ shrugged, “It’s not really like I have a choice. It’s either them or trash cans.” 

I put a hand to my chest and gave a mocking gasp, “Words hurt, MJ.” 

Peter then walked out in black skinny jeans and a dark gray loose fit shirt with a black jacket. He looked good, like always. Something was different but I couldn’t pinpoint what. 

He got into the car and gave Wanda a slight smile and Wanda furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. She noticed it too. 

“Okay then, let’s go.” I said, noticing that MJ and Ned weren’t going to say anything either. 

The entire ride up to Flash’s was a little awkward. But Wanda and MJ engaged in conversation, so it made the ride at least a little bearable. 

As I parked the car on the curb, the music coming from the house... ahem Mansion was very loud. 

Everyone started to get out of the car but I grabbed Peter’s hand, “Hey, are you okay?”

He seemed a little taken aback from the question, but plastered a grin on his face, “Yeah. I’m great.” 

We all made our way to the mansion and walked through the already opened doors. 

The house was packed with people, the music blaring so loud, red solo cups littered the floor.

“Hey guys!” I heard Flash’s voice over the ridiculously loud EDM music. He then threw his arms over me and Peter and Peter chuckled. The smell of alcohol was very present in Flash’s breath. “So glad you could make it! Sorry if it’s a little chaotic, I threw this party together in a couple of days so I don’t have a DJ. Or really any snacks. But there is a looooot of alcohol! I’ll go get you some!” And like that, he was gone.

I glanced over to Peter who was just looking around, I guess taking in everything. I doubt he has been to many parties. I had already lost MJ and Ned. Wanda was still with us.

“Where did Ned and MJ go?” I asked Wanda and she shrugged. 

“They just disappeared.” Wanda said.

We saw Betty and Betty motioned for us to come over to her.

“I didn’t know you guys were coming!” She said, mostly looking at Peter.

Peter shrugged, “Flash invited me so I decided why not?” 

“Well, I’m glad you are getting out more! It’s good to see you out socializing. I remember you being such a nerd. I mean you still are, but in a good way! I mean, like, you know, the only time I’d ever see you was at Decathlon practice and everything. It’s almost like the blip changed your entire personality or something.”

“Thanks?” Peter clearly didn’t know what to say to that.

“Anytime, Peter!” She smiled and then went to catch up with her friends.

“Here you guys go!” Flash came up to us and handed both Peter and me a drink. I just politely took it but knew that I had to be the designated driver.

I looked over to see Peter gulping down the entire drink. He made a weird face but quickly recovered. I just looked at him confused. Flash just laughed.

“What was that?” Peter asked looking into his now empty cup.

“Vodka and Soda.” Flash said.

“Could I just get a beer?” Peter said and Flash chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s over at the bar.” Just as Flash finished his sentence, Peter was already off.

“What the fuck is up with him?” I turned to Wanda and she looked just as confused as I felt.

“I have no idea. I’ve known him for quite a while, I don’t think he has ever drank.” Wanda said. 

“Wai- wait, who are-you?” Flash slurred.

“I’m... Sarah.” She gave the most American Accent I have ever heard. “Friend of Peters.”

“Never thought Peter knew any pretty girls.” Flash snickered. “Also I didn’t know he enjoyed liquor so much either.” Flash nodded his head in the direction to where Peter was. Peter slung his head back, taking a shot of what looked like tequila. “Guess I don’t know a lot.”

I just stared over at Peter for a moment, and after he took 3 shots, I decided to go over.

“I’ll be back.” I said, leaving Wanda with Flash.

I walked up to Peter, who took yet another shot of tequila and smiled at me.

“Hey, Harls!” Hey said a little loudly. He didn’t appear drunk, which was weird with how much alcohol he had already consumed. He took another shot and then looked at me, “I think I forgot to tell you how much I enjoyed last night. It- it was gweat. Ha! Gweat!” He started to giggle a little, “I can’t say gweat right!” 

_There it is._

He took another shot and before he could pick up another, I grabbed his hand.

“I think that’s enough for now, Peter.” 

“What? I’ve only had... oops I lost count!” He giggled. I looked over to the bartender, who also looked like he was our age.

“How many has he had?” I asked him and he shrugged.

“I don’t know. But it’s a lot. He has quite the tolerance for alcohol.” I just looked at the dude, shocked. _Has he heard of alcohol poisoning?_

“See, Harley I’m fffine.” Peter said as he asked the bartender for another.

“No!” I told the bartender and Peter pouted.

“What is going on, Peter?” I asked him looking, searching for anything in his eyes that would tell me. All I saw was haze. He was already so drunk. 

“Nothing, Harley! I just want to have a good time!”

I was so concerned. I had never seen him like this. 

“Hey, I had to get away from Flash, he started to think I looked a lot like Wanda Maximoff.” Wanda came up from behind me. She looked at Peter and then back at me.

“Yo, what is wrong with him.” Ned and MJ stood beside Wanda.

“I don’t know but I need to get him to the compound. Luckily, he is supposed to have a checkup done tomorrow for Dr. Cho and Banner so I don’t have to take him to May in this condition. I’ll take you guys home first.”   
  


After I took MJ and Ned home, I took us back to the compound. 

I parked the car and looked at Wanda pleadingly. 

“You wanna blip us up there, please? It would be a nightmare to carry him.” I looked in the back seat to see Peter still crazy drunk. He was in a fit of giggles once I parked the car.

“Yeah.” Wanda snapped her fingers and we were on the Avengers floor with Peter’s arms on either side of us as we held him up from falling face flat on the floor.

“That felt so weird!” He giggled and then he frowned, “Oh no.” 

Luckily, Wanda was prepared and had a bucket to his face before he puked up all his stomach contents.

“My god, is he drunk?” I could hear Steve’s voice as I looked to the couch to see Sam, Steve, and Bruce just sitting there. And just then, Nat walked into the living room and looked at Peter in shock. Well, they all were in shock. 

“... maybe.” I said with a nervous chuckle.

“May’e all yooou guys are ta’ drunk ones an’ Imma only one sober.” Peter slurred his words and Sam tried to stifle a laugh. Natasha hit him on the back of the head and gave him a reprimanding glare.

“Interesting. With his metabolism, his body should have already digested most of the alcohol.” Bruce stated.

“Well, he had a shit ton of tequila shots. Not to mention the Vodka he had.” 

“How many shots did he have?” Natasha asked, very concerned.

“Enough as to where a normal person would have alcohol poisoning or be dead by now.” I explained. 

“I’ wasn’t a’lot.” Peter tried to defend himself.

“I’ll go get him some water.” Nat said. 

“I’m fiiiine. I just wanna go to bed.” His speech was becoming clearer.

“Well, you can after you drink this.” Nat said, handing him a glass of water. He immediately took it and gulped it down. He didn’t need to lean on us anymore, and his balance was already significantly improving. 

He seemed just a little tipsy now which was crazy, considering just a minute ago he was completely hammered.

“Ow.” He rubbed his head. “Could I get some Advil?”

And he was already in the hangover stages. It was amazing, really.

“Oh God, I’m never drinking again.” He said, looking like he was about to hurl again. Wanda supplied him another bucket and two pills of Advil. “Thanks.” 

“Well, that was fast.” Sam said, speaking exactly what I was thinking.

“It’s fascinating.” Bruce said, staring at Peter in complete awe.

Peter rubbed his temples and groaned in pain. “Why is alcohol so glorified, this sucks.” 

“Let’s get you to your room.” I guided him to his room and he slipped off his jacket and he got into his bed. I sat down on the edge of the bed and played with his hair, trying to soothe him.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized.

“What?” 

“I’m just... sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten drunk. It was stupid. I’m sorry I ruined your night.” 

“I mean, seeing you drunk was pretty silly.” I smiled and then frowned, “But yeah, let’s not do that again... but a good nights rest should help get rid of your hangover.” 

“My hangover is gone.”

“What?” I looked at him, incredulous.

“Yep.” He smiled devilishly as he pulled me down into a kiss and god, was it the best feeling ever. I could feel the electricity running through my veins and my heart was racing as he deepened the kiss. 

“Mmh. Peter... you. need. rest.” I protested between kisses.

He sighed and I quickly kissed his lips one more time.

“I’ll be here in the morning for your tests. I’ll even get you some donuts and coffee.” I said and his eyes lit up to the mention of food.

I gave him a soft laugh as I kissed his temple.

“Good night, Peter. Love you.” I told him as I got up and turned out the lamp.

“I love you too.” He told me and my heart skipped a beat.

I closed his door and looked to the living room to see Wanda smirking at me.

“I swear Wanda, if you listen in on one more of our conversations...” I looked over her to see Sam quietly snickering. I huffed, “Unbelievable.”

——————————

**Peter’s POV**

  
Yesterday morning was filled with tests. Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho seem to just live for physical examinations. All the Avengers get one each month. Although if it was up to me I would have sat that one out.

They said everything looked great and I was healthy, well as healthy as a 17 year old can be with Spider DNA.

I woke up to my alarm and got ready for school. I mean, I didn’t wake up because I couldn’t fall asleep anyways. The nightmares were back but I got a couple of hours of sleep. It wasn’t too bad. 

I heard a knock on the door and opened the door to see Harley smiling.

“Good morning.” I said with a smile.

“Mornin’.” He leaned against the door frame. I got my book bag from the couch and we went to school.

We walked into the school and I made my way to my locker, with Harley following close behind.

I looked up at the TV to see a still picture of the hostage situation Saturday. Betty was smiling and talked proudly about my ‘victory.’ 

I rolled my eyes as I opened my locker and placed my book bag inside and took out my physics book. Almost every conversation in the hallway was either about Flash’s party or how crazy it was that Spider-Man took down four criminals and saved two hostages single handedly. It was starting to get frustrating. 

I beat the crap out of those guys. With no consequence. And... _and I liked it._

“Hey, you okay?” Harley raised an eyebrow.

“Hm? Yeah I’m great.” I smiled and closed my locker.

“It’s just it looked like you... zoned out.” 

“I’m fine.” I reassured him and luckily, the bell rang so I was able to leave the conversation.

I walked into the classroom and I saw a few girls glance at me and then giggle. I frowned and sat down next to Harley.

One of the girls in the class came up to me and smiled. She was a really pretty blonde that I don’t think I had ever talked to, but I knew she was in my class.

“How was your suspension?” She sat down on my table and gave me another smile showing her perfect teeth.

“Um... good?” I answered and she giggled and playfully hit my arm, but then allowed her hand to linger on my arm for a second. 

“You are hilarious... And cute.” She said, “I mean, it was really cool what you did to Brad. He is quite the asshole. I mean, whatever he said to you must have made you _really_ mad.” 

I glanced over to Harley who looked very much amused. It then dawned on me what was happening. Was she... _was she flirting with me?_

“Y-yeah... it, uh, it did.” I stammered. _Why was she flirting with me?!_

“I like a man with a temper.” She flashed me another smile and I just sat there, frozen. Harley bit his lip in an attempt not to laugh at the situation.

“Um... w-what?” I squeaked out and she just giggled again. 

“You are too cute.” She pouted her lips and then handed me a piece of paper, “Here’s my number. We should hang out some time.” She gave me a slow wave and then went to the back of the room. 

I turned to Harley and he just burst into laughter. 

“What the fuck was that?” I asked in a whisper.

“A girl— well, _all_ the girls are into you now. Like, not even one has given me a wink or a giggle. My god, and I only thought that me and baristas saw your dorky, quirky self as cute.” 

“Baristas?” I asked, confused.

“How are you so clueless, Parker?” He smirked.

“I am not clueless!” I argued.

“What’s going on?” MJ sat down at her table in front of us and Betty joined her.

“The mean girls are starting to hit on Peter. He just got a number from that blonde back there.” Harley explained. “I guess beating the shit out of a dude who is a really popular jock can earn you chicks. Who knew?”

“Yeah, why did you beat up Brad, Peter?” Betty asked. Harley and MJ also looked to me for an answer.

I never actually told either of them. I guess they just assumed it was because he was a dick. Which he is.

“Um he—“

“Okay, class. Get out your homework from over the weekend so I can take it up.” The teacher addressed the class and MJ and Betty turned around. 

I placed all my homework from last week on the desk and Harley just shook his head at me.

“Where did you get the homework? You were suspended.” Harley asked and the teacher picked up my homework and she gave me a weird look.

“MJ sent me the homework. I didn’t want to fall behind.”

“We learned new stuff. How did you know how to do any of it?” Betty asked.

I shrugged, “We have a textbook.” 

“I will never understand you, Parker.” Mrs. Warren smiled. 

After class was over, I tried to leave but one of the girls stopped me and placed a hand on my chest.

“I saw that you were talking to Stacy earlier.” She said, her voice dripping with venom. 

“I- I gotta get to class.” I said as I tried to get rid of her. I glanced over to see Harley smirking as he left the classroom. That son of a bitch.

“Oh yeah, I forgot. You are _all_ about school, huh?” She smiled.

I nervously chuckled as I pried her hand off my chest. She looked offended as I walked away from her and left the classroom. 

All eyes were on me the entire day. And I was exhausted. Everyone kept coming up to me and asking me how I beat up Brad and if I was on steroids or something.

It was stupid. The last thing I wanted was attention. I am supposed to be the invisible nerd. Nobody is supposed to see me.

After school, Harley took me home and I decided to get dinner started for May. She had been working so hard and I hadn’t even been here that much. She keeps having to switch shifts and you can tell she is just tired. 

May came home around eight and the dinner was ready.

“Aw, Peter! You didn’t have to do this!”

“I know but I wanted too.” I smiled as she sat down in front of her plate.

“So, how was school?” She asked.

“Exhausting.” I groaned and she frowned.

“I don’t think exhausting and school have ever been in the same sentence when it concerns you.” She smiled.

“Well, how was work?” I asked her.

“Now that was exhausting.” She chuckled. “But coming home to you making dinner and the house being clean made everything so much better. How did you have time for this and patrol?” She asked.

“Um... I didn’t go out tonight.” I said, without looking at her as I took a sip of my water. 

“Oh. Are... are you planning to?” 

“Not tonight. I just... wanted to spend time with you.” 

_And not risk beating any criminals to death because you enjoy it, you sick bastard._

I shook the thought from my head. Anyways, maybe a break from Spider-Man could get rid of the nightmares.

“You are too sweet, Pete.” 

After dinner, I told May just to go ahead and get to bed. Tomorrow was her off day so she would be able to sleep in and get some much needed rest.

Before I went to bed, I heard a knock on the door. It was already ten at night.

I opened the door and saw Flash with a busted lip, a very black eye, and a cut on his cheek.

“Um... could I... could I spend the night here?”

“Flash, what happened?” I gasped as I let him in.

“My uh, my father kicked me out tonight. He uh, just needed some space.” He said like there wasn’t a problem with that. 

_Needed space?_

“Did he... did he do that too?” I motioned to his face and he sucked in a deep breath as he nodded.

“I’m sorry. I um... I... I just didn’t know where else to go.” 

“Come on, let me get you cleaned up.” I motioned for him to sit down on the couch as I went to the bathroom and got a wet rag. 

I came back and dabbed his cheek which he hissed at. It was a pretty deep cut.

“If you don’t mind me asking... how did it all start? I mean, has it always been like this?” I asked and he just stared at me for a moment. 

“I um... I was in the eight grade. My parents would pay one of the housekeepers extra to watch over me when they went off to work. The housekeeper became more of a mother to me than my own mother. Um... so I felt comfortable telling her that I liked this... boy.” He glanced up at me, I guess making sure I wouldn’t judge him, “I begged her not to tell my parents. But I guess she was too proud, so she told them and... I...” He let a tear freely fall down his cheek, “Next thing I know I have multiple bleeding welts on my back from my father’s leather belt.” 

“Flash... Nobody... nobody deserves that.” I told him and he looked up at me with the most confused look on his face. 

“I just don’t get you, Peter.” He scoffed, “All I have ever done is torment you and make your life a living hell since the 8th grade. Why do you put up with me?” 

I shrugged and flashed him a smile, “I’m gonna go get you a blanket.” I stood up and made my way to the closet in the hallway next to May’s room. I took out a blanket and a pillow and gave them to Flash. “Um... if you need anything else, the bathroom is over there and I’ll be in my room.” 

“Thanks, Peter.” He gave me a soft smile and I nodded.

“Anytime.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! ;)


End file.
